Describes physical density, thickness, or crowdedness. Often used for forests, crowds, or tightly packed things.
Antonyms: 疎 (そ)
This area has a dense population.
This forest is densely wooded.
The venue was crowded with people.
Used for relationships, communication, or connections that are close and intimate.
I have built a close relationship with him.
The two countries are in close contact with each other.
Describes something done in fine detail, with great care, or meticulously. Often used for plans, rules, or observations.
He made a detailed plan.
The police are conducting a minute investigation.
Used for matters kept secret or confidential. Often appears in compounds like 密談 (secret talk) or 密約 (secret agreement).
The meeting was held in secret.
A secret deal was uncovered.
esoteric Buddhism; secret Buddhist teachings
Abbreviation of 密教 (みっきょう). Used in Buddhist contexts to refer to esoteric teachings. Rare as a standalone noun.
See also: 密教 (みっきょう)
Esoteric Buddhism is contrasted with exoteric Buddhism.
This week's schedule is so packed I have no time to rest.
The two companies have a close relationship.
We are keeping in close contact with the local team.
The culprits had drawn up a meticulous plan.
密 describes something done in fine, careful detail, while 丹念 emphasizes patient, painstaking effort put into the work.
密 describes matters kept secret in general, while 隠密 stresses deliberate concealment or covert action, like spying.
sparse; thin; not dense · distant; estranged; alienated
密 (secret) describes information kept hidden, while 公開 describes information made openly available to the public.
顕 (short for 顕教) refers to exoteric, publicly taught Buddhist doctrines, while 密 (short for 密教) refers to esoteric, secretly transmitted teachings.
密 (みつ) means dense/secret/close, while 蜜 (みつ) is an unrelated word meaning honey or nectar; they share only the sound.
secret; confidential; private · mystery; secret · secret (to success, etc.); key · esoteric teachings
secrecy; confidentiality; classified information
close adhesion; sticking firmly; being glued · relating closely; having relevance; being closely tied · contact printing
density
precise; exact; detailed; accurate
The kanji 密 originally depicts a mountain with a roof and a mat, suggesting something hidden or dense. The reading みつ is the on'yomi. The word has been used in Japanese with meanings related to density, closeness, secrecy, and detail.
crowding together; clustering; close formation; swarm
seal tightly; make airtight; hermetically seal
secret report; tip-off; informing against
fine; close; delicate; intricate · precise; meticulous; careful; elaborate
minute; detailed; thorough; scrupulous
dense; thick; rich; deep; strong; heavy; detailed; close; intimate
secret meeting; clandestine meeting
illicit sale; smuggling; trafficking
overcrowding; overpopulation; congestion · crammed; tight; busy
dense forest; jungle; thicket · Amazon (online retailer)
illicit manufacturing; moonshining
secret agreement; secret pact
airtight; hermetic
close; tight; rigorous; compact
poaching
hermetic sealing; sealing airtight
esoteric Buddhism; Vajrayana; Mikkyō
privacy; secrecy; confidentiality
stowing away; smuggling oneself; clandestine travel abroad
illegal entry into a country; smuggling oneself in
poaching (fish or seafood); illegal fishing