亢こう龍りょう

also: こうりゅう

こ

う

りょ

う

Meanings

noun

dragon that has ascended to the heavens; person of immense wealth and power

formal or literary

Literary term from Chinese classics (see 亢龍有悔). Literally a dragon soaring too high, figuratively a person at the peak of power who risks downfall. Used in formal or literary contexts.

Written forms

亢龍Usage100%
- こうりょう
  Standard kanji form; 龍 is the traditional character for 'dragon'.
- こうりゅう
  Alternate reading こうりゅう; rare and not the primary reading.
亢竜
- こうりょう
  Variant with simplified 竜; less common but acceptable.
- こうりゅう
こうりゅう

Kanji

亢high spirits
龍dragon, imperial
竜dragon, imperial

Similar words

亢こう龍りょう有ゆう悔かい
The full four-character idiom from the I Ching; 亢龍 is the subject of this phrase, emphasizing the regret that follows excessive ascent.

Etymology

From Chinese 亢龍 (kànglóng), a term from the I Ching (Book of Changes) referring to a dragon that has flown too high and cannot descend, symbolizing overreach and impending downfall. The Japanese reading is on'yomi.