also: たん · どん
noun
General term for strong desire or greed, often used in literary or formal contexts. Not an everyday word; more common in compounds like 貪欲 (どんよく).
彼の心は貪に満ちていた。
His heart was filled with greed.
noun
Only with reading とん
Buddhist technical term for one of the three poisons (三毒), referring to craving or lust. Usually read とん.
仏教では、貪は三毒の一つとされる。
In Buddhism, raga is considered one of the three poisons.
Rare reading; appears in some compounds or older texts.
The kanji 貪 is composed of 貝 (shell, money) and 今 (now), suggesting immediate desire for wealth. The word itself is a Sino-Japanese reading (on'yomi) used primarily in Buddhist and literary contexts.