荒こう唐とう

こ

う

と

う

Meanings

Describes ideas, stories, or claims that are wildly illogical or laughably unreasonable. Often used in the set phrase 荒唐無稽 (こうとうむけい).

See also: 荒唐無稽 (こうとうむけい)

彼かれの話はなしは荒こう唐とう無む稽けいで、誰だれも信しんじなかった。
His story was so absurd that nobody believed it.
その計けい画かくは荒こう唐とうで、実じつ現げんできるとは思おもえない。
The plan is ridiculous; I don't think it can be realized.

Kanji

荒laid waste, rough, rude
唐T'ang, China, foreign

Related words

荒こう唐とう無む稽けい
A common four-character compound meaning 'absurd and groundless'; more frequently used than 荒唐 alone.
馬ば鹿かげる
A more casual, everyday word for 'absurd' or 'foolish', while 荒唐 is more formal and often used in written or critical contexts.

Word family

荒こう唐とう無む稽けい
absurd; nonsensical; preposterous

Written forms

荒こう唐とうUsage85%
Standard kanji spelling; often used in the compound 荒唐無稽.
こうとうUsage15%
Kana spelling is understandable but less common than the kanji form.

Etymology

The kanji 荒 (wild, rough) and 唐 (Tang dynasty, but here used for 'exaggerated' or 'empty') combine to suggest something wild and baseless. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound 荒唐無稽 has been used since at least the Edo period.