憎
hate, detest
Readings
On'yomi
- ゾウ
Kun'yomi
- にく.む
- にく.い
- にく.らしい
- にく.しみ
Meaning
憎 centers on intense dislike: hating or detesting someone or something.
Most common words using 憎
20 of 40- 憎むにくむN3
to hate; to detest
- 憎しみにくしみN1
hatred
- 憎悪ぞうおN1
hatred; abhorrence; loathing; detestation
- 憎いにくいN3
hateful; detestable; abominable; vexing; provoking
- 生憎あいにくN3
unfortunately; sorry, but ...
- 愛憎あいぞうN1
love and hate
- 憎たらしいにくたらしい
odious; hateful; awful; horrid; revolting
- 憎らしいにくらしいN2
odious; hateful; detestable; horrible
- 憎まれ口にくまれぐち
abusive language
- 憎まれ役にくまれやく
thankless role; ungracious part
- 心憎いこころにくい
refined; admirable; superb
- お生憎様おあいにくさま
sorry
- その罪を憎んでその人を憎まずそのつみをにくんでそのひとをにくまず
condemn the offense, but not the offender; detest the sin, but weep for the sinner
- 可愛さ余って憎さ百倍かわいさあまってにくさひゃくばい
the greatest hate proceeds from the greatest love
- 坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎いぼうずにくけりゃけさまでにくい
if you dislike someone, you will end up hating everything he stands for; hate a priest, and you will hate his very vestments
- 嫌中憎韓けんちゅうぞうかん
Dislike China, Hate Korea; publishing genre of anti-Chinese and Korean books and magazines
- 小憎らしいこにくらしい
provoking; rather annoying
- 小面憎いこづらにくい
cheeky; saucy; pert
- 怨憎会苦おんぞうえく
the pain of meeting people one dislikes
- 愛憎併存あいぞうへいそん
ambivalence
Study
Etymology
憎 combines 忄 (heart/mind) with 曾, which likely contributes the sound and may have originally suggested a piled-up or accumulated feeling, leading to the idea of deep-seated hatred.
Meaning mnemonic
The heart radical 忄 beside 曾 suggests a heart burdened with piled-up negative feelings: that is hate.
Reading mnemonic
For ゾウ, imagine a zoo filled with animals you detest: zoo -> ゾウ, and your heart fills with hate.