虐
tyrannize, oppress
Readings
On'yomi
- ギャク
Kun'yomi
- しいた.げる
Meaning
虐 centers on cruel, oppressive treatment: tyrannizing or harshly dominating others.
Most common words using 虐
20 of 65- 虐めいじめN3
bullying; teasing
- 虐殺ぎゃくさつN1
slaughter; massacre
- 虐待ぎゃくたい
abuse; ill-treatment; maltreatment; mistreatment; cruelty
- 残虐ざんぎゃく
cruel; brutal; savage; barbarous
- 自虐じぎゃく
self-torture; masochism; inflicting damage to oneself
- 暴虐ぼうぎゃく
tyranny; atrocity
- 被虐ひぎゃく
suffering (as a result of maltreatment)
- 嗜虐しぎゃく
sadism
- 虐げるしいたげる
to oppress; to persecute; to tyrannize
- ソンミ村虐殺事件ソンミむらぎゃくさつじけん
My Lai Massacre (1968); Son My Massacre
- ルワンダ虐殺ルワンダぎゃくさつ
Rwandan genocide (1994)
- 児童性的虐待じどうせいてきぎゃくたい
child sexual abuse; child molestation
- 児童虐待じどうぎゃくたい
child abuse
- 八虐はちぎゃく
eight unpardonable crimes (in ancient Japanese law)
- 加虐かぎゃく
causing pain; sadism
- 加虐心かぎゃくしん
sadism
- 加虐性愛かぎゃくせいあい
sadism
- 加虐性愛者かぎゃくせいあいしゃ
sadist
- 加虐性欲かぎゃくせいよく
sadism
- 加虐愛かぎゃくあい
sadism
Study
Etymology
虐 combines 虍 (tiger) with a claw-like lower component, suggesting the cruelty of a tiger's claws. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the tiger association is well established.
Meaning mnemonic
The tiger-head 虍 tops a claw-like shape, like a tiger using its claws to tyrannize and oppress.
Reading mnemonic
For ギャク, imagine a cruel tyrant making a harsh, grating sound: gyak! The invented sound gyak cues ギャク while the tiger's claws oppress.