人ひとでなし

ひ

と

で

な

し

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, na-adjective

brute; beast; monster; inhuman person; ungrateful person

A strong insult for someone who lacks human decency, empathy, or gratitude; often used in emotional or dramatic contexts.

あんなことをするなんて、彼かれは人ひとでなしだ。

He's a monster for doing something like that.

恩おんを仇あだで返かえすとは人ひとでなしにもほどがある。

Returning kindness with betrayal is beyond inhuman.

Kanji

人person
無nothingness, none, ain't

Related words

鬼おに
鬼 is a demon or ogre, often used metaphorically for a cruel or strict person, but lacks the specific nuance of lacking human decency that 人でなし carries.
畜ちく生しょう
畜生 literally means 'beast' and is a strong curse, but it is more general and can be used as an exclamation, while 人でなし specifically condemns someone's moral failure as a human.

Written forms

人ひとでなしUsage86%
Standard spelling; the なし part is usually written in kana.
ひとでなしUsage14%
人ひとで無なし
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the 無し spelling is uncommon.

Etymology

Compound of 人 (ひと, 'person') + で (copula connective form) + なし (無し, 'without'), literally 'not a person'. The phrase has been used since at least the Edo period to describe someone who lacks human qualities.