厄 災(やくさい)

やくさい

noun

calamity; disaster; catastrophe

1. calamity; disaster; catastrophe; misfortune

A severe misfortune or disaster, often with connotations of fate or supernatural causes. More literary and dramatic than everyday words for disaster.

厄災(やくさい)が降(ふ)りかかる。

Calamity befalls.

厄災(やくさい)から身(み)を守(まも)るためにお祓(はら)いをする。

To perform a purification ritual to protect oneself from calamity.

戦争(せんそう)は人類(じんるい)にとって最(もっと)も大(おお)きな厄災(やくさい)の一(ひと)つだ。

War is one of the greatest calamities for humankind.

この地域(ちいき)は過去(かこ)に何度(なんど)も厄災(やくさい)に見舞(みま)われてきた。

This region has been hit by calamity many times in the past.

A literary word for calamity or disaster, often carrying connotations of fate, divine punishment, or forces beyond human control. Commonly encountered in literature, historical writing, fantasy/game contexts, and formal speeches. In everyday conversation, 災害(さいがい) or 災難(さいなん) are more typical.

Common collocations

厄災(やくさい)が降(ふ)りかかる: for calamity to befall
厄災(やくさい)に見舞(みま)われる: to be struck by calamity
厄災(やくさい)をもたらす: to bring about disaster
厄災(やくさい)を払(はら)う: to ward off calamity
厄災(やくさい)から逃(のが)れる: to escape from disaster

Similar words

災害(さいがい): disaster — the standard neutral term, used for natural disasters and emergencies
災難(さいなん): misfortune — personal-scale bad luck or trouble
惨事(さんじ): tragedy, catastrophe — emphasizes the horrific nature of an event
天災(てんさい): natural disaster — specifically caused by nature
厄(やく): bad luck, unlucky year — relates to superstition about certain ages

Forms

厄(やく) (misfortune, bad luck) + 災(さい) (disaster) — combines two characters both relating to calamity.

Related Words

Compare: 災害(さいがい) (disaster)

Compare: 災難(さいなん) (misfortune)

Compare: 惨事(さんじ) (tragedy, catastrophe)

Compare: 天災(てんさい) (natural disaster)

Compare: 災厄(さいやく) (calamity)

general

Added 2026.4.19 1:26 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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