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放蕩 (ほうとう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
dissipation ; debauchery ; prodigality
Refers to a lifestyle of self-indulgent excess, often involving drinking, spending, or sexual immorality. Can be used as a noun or with する to describe the act of living dissolutely.
See also: 放蕩息子
The prodigal son returned home.
Written forms 放ほう 蕩とう Usage 72%
Standard kanji spelling; used in news and literary contexts.
ほうとう Usage 28%
Kanji 蕩 melt, be charmed, captivated Similar words 浪ろう 費ひ 浪費 focuses on wasting money or resources, while 放蕩 implies a broader, morally questionable lifestyle of excess.
自じ 堕だ 落らく 自堕落 describes a lazy, slovenly, or self-indulgent character, often without the active, wild connotation of 放蕩.
Etymology Compound of 放 (release, let loose) and 蕩 (melt, be charmed, profligate). The combination suggests letting oneself go into a state of moral laxity or indulgence.
