Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
恫喝 (どうかつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
intimidation ; threat ; bluster
Refers to the act of intimidating or threatening someone, often with blustering language or behavior. Can be used as a noun or with する as a transitive verb.
き
者しゃ
会かい
見けん
で
記き
者しゃ
を
恫どう
喝かつ
し
た
。
The politician intimidated the reporters at the press conference.
Written forms 恫どう 喝かつ Usage 100%
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used in news and formal contexts.
恫愒どうかつ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 喝 is the standard second character.
Similar words 脅きょう 迫はく 脅迫 is a more common and broader term for threat or intimidation, often used in legal contexts. 恫喝 emphasizes blustering or verbal intimidation.
威い 嚇かく 威嚇 focuses on threatening gestures or displays of power, while 恫喝 is more about verbal threats and bluster.
Etymology The kanji 恫 (どう) means 'in pain' or 'grieve', and 喝 (かつ) means 'scold' or 'shout'. Together they convey the idea of shouting threats or intimidating someone. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound is used in modern Japanese for verbal intimidation.
