凶きょう変へん

きょ

う

へ

ん

Meanings

A sudden, tragic event, often implying violence or death. Can refer to natural disasters, but also to man-made calamities such as assassinations. Somewhat literary or formal.

その凶きょう変へんは国くに中じゅうに衝しょう撃げきを与あたえた。
The catastrophe shocked the entire nation.
歴れき史し書しょには、王おうの凶きょう変へんが詳くわしく記しるされている。
The history book records the king's assassination in detail.

Kanji

凶villain, evil, bad luck
変unusual, change, strange
兇wickedness

Related words

災さい害がい
災害 is a general term for natural or man-made disasters, while 凶変 emphasizes the tragic, often violent nature of the event.
惨さん事じ
惨事 refers to a tragic incident or disaster, often with a focus on the gruesome or pitiful aspect, whereas 凶変 can carry a nuance of ominous or fateful calamity.

Written forms

凶きょう変へんUsage80%
Standard kanji spelling for 'catastrophe' or 'disaster'.
兇きょう変へんUsage20%
Variant using 兇 (kyō, 'wickedness'); less common than 凶変.

Etymology

Compound of 凶 (kyō, 'bad luck, disaster') and 変 (hen, 'change, unusual event'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys a sudden, disastrous turn of events.