いじめ

い

じ

め

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

bullying; teasing

usually written using kana alone

Refers to persistent bullying or teasing, especially in school or workplace contexts. Can range from mild teasing to severe harassment.

学がっ校こうでのいじめは深しん刻こくな問もん題だいだ。
Bullying at school is a serious problem.

彼かれはいじめに耐たえられず、学がっ校こうをやめた。

He couldn't stand the bullying and dropped out of school.

Written forms

いじめUsage85%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 虐め and 苛め are less common.
イジメUsage14%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in informal contexts.
虐いじめUsage1%
Kanji form; 虐 means 'oppress' or 'tyrannize'.
苛いじめUsage1%
Kanji form; 苛 means 'torment' or 'bully'.

Kanji

虐tyrannize, oppress
苛torment, scold, chastise

Similar words

嫌いやがらせ
嫌がらせ is a broader term for harassment or malicious acts, not necessarily persistent or group-based like いじめ.
虐ぎゃく待たい
虐待 refers to physical or psychological abuse, often in domestic or institutional settings, and is more severe than いじめ.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 苛める/虐める (いじめる, 'to bully'), which is the transitive form of 苛む/虐む (いじむ, 'to torment'). The noun form いじめ is the continuative form (連用形) of いじめる.