凶きょう悍かん

Meanings

rare term

Rare literary term for extreme cruelty or brutal fierceness. Not used in everyday speech; found mainly in older or formal writing.

その犯はん罪ざいの凶きょう悍かんさは、人ひと々びとを震ふるえ上あがらせた。
The heinousness of the crime made people shudder.
彼かれの目めには凶きょう悍かんな光ひかりが宿やどっていた。
A ferocious light dwelled in his eyes.

Kanji

凶villain, evil, bad luck
悍rough, clumsy, violent
兇wickedness

Related words

凶きょう悪あく
凶悪 is a common word for 'heinous' or 'atrocious', used in modern contexts like 凶悪犯罪 (heinous crime). 凶悍 is a rare, literary synonym with a stronger nuance of brutal fierceness.
残ざん忍にん
残忍 means 'cruel' or 'brutal' and is more common than 凶悍. 凶悍 emphasizes a wild, fierce cruelty rather than cold-bloodedness.

Written forms

凶きょう悍かん
Rare kanji spelling for 'heinousness' or 'ferocity'. The character 悍 suggests fierceness or brutality.
兇きょう悍かんUsage100%
Variant spelling using 兇 (ominous, evil). Even rarer than 凶悍.

Etymology

Composed of 凶 (bad luck, evil) and 悍 (fierce, brutal). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with extreme cruelty.