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襲来 (しゅうらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
invasion ; raid ; attack ; visitation (of a calamity)
Refers to a sudden, often large-scale incursion or arrival of something threatening, such as enemy forces, natural disasters, or pests. Used in both literal and figurative contexts.
The enemy army invaded the border.
Kanji 襲 attack, advance on, succeed to Similar words 侵しん 略りゃく 侵略 implies a systematic, often political or military invasion with intent to conquer or occupy, while 襲来 emphasizes the sudden, violent nature of the attack or arrival.
来らい 襲しゅう 来襲 is a near-synonym with the same meaning, but 襲来 is more common in modern usage.
Etymology Compound of 襲 (attack, raid) and 来 (come, arrive). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of a sudden hostile arrival.