びらん

び

ら

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

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

sore; erosion; ulceration

usually written using kana alone

Medical term for a sore, erosion, or ulceration on the skin or mucous membrane. Also used for decomposition of a body.

胃いの粘ねん膜まくにびらんが見みつかった。
Erosion was found in the stomach lining.

床とこずれで皮ひ膚ふがびらんした。

The skin became ulcerated from bedsores.

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

corruption; dissipation; degeneration

usually written using kana alone

Figurative use for moral corruption, dissipation, or becoming degenerate. Often used in literary or formal contexts.

政せい治じのびらんが社しゃ会かいの不ふ安あんを招まねいた。
Political corruption led to social unrest.
彼かれの生せい活かつは酒さけとギャンブルでびらんしていった。
His life became dissipated through drinking and gambling.

Written forms

びらんUsage84%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 糜爛 is rare and may not be recognized by many readers.
ビランUsage9%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling sometimes used in medical contexts or for emphasis; not a primary written form.
糜び爛らんUsage7%
Rare kanji form; the first character is not a standard jōyō kanji.

Kanji

糜be inflamed
爛be sore, inflamed, bleary

Similar words

潰かい瘍よう
潰瘍 specifically means 'ulcer' as a medical condition, while びらん is a broader term for erosion or soreness, often used for superficial tissue damage.
腐ふ敗はい
腐敗 means 'decay' or 'corruption' in both physical and moral senses, but is more common and general. びらん in the figurative sense is more literary and emphasizes a gradual wearing away or degeneration.

Etymology

The kanji 糜 (bi) means 'rice gruel' or 'to be inflamed', and 爛 (ran) means 'to be sore' or 'to fester'. The word is a Sino-Japanese compound (kango) referring to inflammation and erosion. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in medical and literary contexts.