迷 信(めいしん)

めいしん

noun

superstition

culture religion

1. superstition

A belief or practice based on irrational fear or faith in supernatural forces, rather than reason or knowledge.

それは迷信(めいしん)だ。

That's a superstition.

迷信(めいしん)を信(しん)じる人(ひと)もいる。

Some people believe in superstitions.

黒猫(くろねこ)が不吉(ふきつ)だというのは迷信(めいしん)に過(す)ぎない。

The idea that black cats are unlucky is just a superstition.

Common collocations

迷信(めいしん)を信(しん)じる: to believe in superstitions
迷信(めいしん)に過(す)ぎない: to be nothing more than superstition
迷信(めいしん)深(ぶか)い: superstitious (of a person)
迷信(めいしん)を打(う)ち破(やぶ)る: to dispel a superstition

Cultural note

Well-known Japanese superstitions include avoiding the numbers 4 (四(し), like 死(し) "death") and 9 (九(く), like 苦(く) "suffering"), not sleeping with one's head to the north (北枕(きたまくら), the position of the dead), and not cutting one's nails at night.

Related Words

Related: 迷(まよ)う (to be lost, to hesitate)

Compare: 俗説(ぞくせつ) (popular belief)

Related: 忌(い)み数(かず) (unlucky number)

general

Added 2026.2.1 11:40 · Revised 2026.9.30 23:00

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