大凶(だいきょう)

The lowest rank on the traditional fortune-telling slips (御御籤(おみくじ)) drawn at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The standard ranking from best to worst is: 大吉(だいきち) (great blessing), 吉(きち) (blessing), 中吉(ちゅうきち) (moderate blessing), 小吉(しょうきち) (small blessing), 末吉(すえきち) (future blessing), 凶(きょう) (misfortune), and 大凶(だいきょう) (great misfortune).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

• 大凶(だいきょう)を引(ひ)く: to draw the worst fortune
• 大凶(だいきょう)が出(で)る: to get the worst fortune
• 大凶(だいきょう)のおみくじ: a worst-fortune slip

CULTURAL NOTES:
Drawing 大凶(だいきょう) is quite rare, as many shrines deliberately include very few in their selection. When drawn, it is customary to tie the slip to a designated rack or rope (結(むす)びどころ) at the shrine, symbolically leaving the bad luck behind. Some people consider 大凶(だいきょう) to mean that things can only get better from this point.