also: きょうおん
bad news; news of a death
A somewhat formal or literary term for bad news, especially news of someone's death. Often used in written contexts or solemn announcements.
Bad news arrived from a distant relative.
Everyone was speechless at the sudden news of his death.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading きょういん is the most common.
Alternate reading; less common than きょういん.
Compound of 凶 (bad, ominous) and 音 (sound, news). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with receiving bad tidings.