怖
dreadful, be frightened, fearful
Readings
On'yomi
- フ
- ホ
Kun'yomi
- こわ.い
- こわ.がる
- お.じる
- おそ.れる
Meaning
怖 centers on the feeling of fear or dread: being frightened, fearful, or finding something dreadful.
Most common words using 怖
20 of 65- 怖いこわいN4
scary; frightening; eerie; dreadful
- 恐怖きょうふN3
fear; dread; dismay; terror; horror; scare; panic
- 恐怖症きょうふしょう
phobia; morbid fear
- 怖がるこわがるN1
to be afraid (of); to fear; to be frightened (of); to be scared (of); to worry (about)
- 畏怖いふ
awe; fear; dread; fright
- 怖気おぞけ
fear; dread; fright; willies
- 物怖じものおじ
cowardice; timidity; bashfulness
- 怖じるおじる
to be scared
- 恐怖心きょうふしんN3
fear; terror
- 恐怖映画きょうふえいがN3
horror film
- おなら恐怖症おならきょうふしょう
pathological fear of passing wind
- イスラム恐怖症イスラムきょうふしょう
Islamophobia
- クモ恐怖症くもきょうふしょう
arachnophobia
- 不潔恐怖症ふけつきょうふしょう
mysophobia; germophobia
- 人怖じひとおじ
bashfulness before strangers
- 先端恐怖症せんたんきょうふしょう
aichmophobia (fear of sharply pointed objects); belonephobia
- 外国人恐怖症がいこくじんきょうふしょう
xenophobia
- 女性恐怖症じょせいきょうふしょう
gynophobia; fear of women
- 孤独恐怖症こどくきょうふしょう
eremophobia; monophobia
- 対人恐怖症たいじんきょうふしょう
anthropophobia; social anxiety disorder
Study
Etymology
怖 combines the heart radical 忄 with 布, which likely contributes the sound. The heart radical suggests an emotional state, here fear or dread.
Meaning mnemonic
The heart radical 忄 beside 布 (cloth) suggests a heart wrapped in cloth, trembling with fear. Imagine a frightened person clutching a cloth to their chest.
Reading mnemonic
For フ, imagine a fearful person blowing out a candle with a soft 'fu' sound: fu -> フ, and the darkness makes them even more frightened.