不敬(ふけい)

ふけい
na-adjective, noun
disrespectful; irreverent; impious
formalwritten
1. disrespectful; irreverent; impious
Showing a lack of proper respect, especially toward persons of high status, sacred things, or social superiors. Carries a serious, formal tone.
それは不敬(ふけい)な発言(はつげん)だ。
That is a disrespectful remark.
神社(じんじゃ)で不敬(ふけい)な振(ふ)る舞(ま)いは慎(つつし)むべきだ。
One should refrain from irreverent behavior at a shrine.
戦前(せんぜん)の日本(にほん)では、天皇(てんのう)に対(たい)する不敬(ふけい)は厳(きび)しく罰(ばっ)せられた。
In prewar Japan, disrespect toward the Emperor was severely punished.

A formal word indicating a failure to show proper respect toward authority, the sacred, or social superiors. Historically, 不敬(ふけい)罪(ざい) (lèse-majesté) was a criminal offense in Japan before the postwar legal reforms. Today the word is used more broadly but retains a serious, weighty tone.

Common collocations

  • 不敬(ふけい)罪(ざい) — lèse-majesté; crime of disrespecting the emperor
  • 不敬(ふけい)な態度(たいど) — disrespectful attitude
  • 不敬(ふけい)な発言(はつげん) — disrespectful remark
  • 不敬(ふけい)に当(あ)たる — to constitute disrespect

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 失礼(しつれい) (rude, impolite)
Compare: 無礼(ぶれい) (discourteous, rude)
Compare: 冒涜(ぼうとく) (blasphemy, profanation)
Compare: 冒涜的 (blasphemous)
general
Added 2026.3.26 10:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
19000/19476_fukei