凶(きょう)

きょう
noun
bad luck; misfortune; ill omen
1. bad luck; misfortune; ill omen
An unfavorable fortune or outcome. Most commonly encountered on omikuji fortune slips, where it indicates bad luck. Also used more broadly to mean something ominous or inauspicious.
おみくじで凶(きょう)が出(で)た。
I got bad luck on my omikuji.
凶(きょう)を引(ひ)いたので、木(き)に結(むす)んできた。
I drew bad luck, so I tied it to a tree.
凶(きょう)が出(で)ても気(き)にしない人(ひと)もいれば、もう一度(いちど)引(ひ)き直(なお)す人(ひと)もいる。
Some people don't worry about drawing bad luck, while others draw again.

Bad fortune or ill omen, most commonly seen on omikuji fortune slips at shrines and temples. The opposite of 吉(きち).

OMIKUJI CONTEXT:
When someone draws 凶(きょう), the custom is to tie the paper slip to a designated tree or rack at the shrine, symbolically leaving the bad luck behind. Some shrines have eliminated 凶(きょう) from their omikuji to keep visitors happy.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 大凶(だいきょう) — terrible luck (worst possible result)
  • 凶悪(きょうあく) — atrocious, heinous
  • 凶器(きょうき) — weapon (used in a crime)
  • 凶作(きょうさく) — crop failure, bad harvest
  • 凶事(きょうじ) — misfortune, calamity

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 不吉(ふきつ) — ominous, unlucky (adjective-like usage, broader range)
  • 災難(さいなん) — disaster, misfortune (an actual event, not a prediction)

Related Words

Antonym: 吉(きち) (good fortune)
general
Added 2026.3.25 19:10 · Revised 2026.3.29 19:42
19000/19345_kyou