恐 — Fear / Dread / Awe

Master (高手)きょう, おそ, こわ

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

恐 (readings: きょう, おそ, こわ; Japanese kanji) means “Fear / Dread / Awe”. It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 恐怖 (fear, terror).

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What does 恐 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	恐
Meaning	Fear / Dread / Awe
Readings	きょう, おそ, こわ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	恐怖 (fear, terror)

How to read 恐

恐 is read きょう or おそ or こわ depending on the word.

Words with 恐

恐怖nỗi sợ
恐竜khủng long
恐喝tống tiền

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Updated: 2026-07-22