忌き諱き

also: きい

き

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb

Formal or literary term for strong dislike or taking offense; often used in the phrase 忌諱に触れる (to offend or incur displeasure).

彼かれの無ぶ礼れいな発はつ言げんが上じょう司しの忌き諱きに触ふれた。
His rude remark offended his boss.

その政せい策さくは国こく民みんの忌き諱きを買かった。

The policy incurred the public's displeasure.

Written forms

忌諱Usage100%
- きき
  Standard kanji form; the reading きい is less common.
- きい
  Alternate reading; きき is more common.
きい

Kanji

忌mourning, abhor, detestable
諱posthumous (real) name

Similar words

不ふ興きょう
不興 also means displeasure or disfavor, but is more common and less literary than 忌諱.
反はん感かん
反感 means antipathy or ill feeling, a more general term for negative reaction, while 忌諱 implies a stronger sense of taboo or deep offense.

Etymology

Composed of 忌 (ki, 'abhorrence, taboo') and 諱 (ki, 'posthumous name; taboo name'), suggesting something one avoids mentioning out of respect or fear of offense. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound is used in formal contexts to express strong displeasure.