惨 — Wretched / Disaster / Cruelty / Harsh

Master (高手)さん, ざん, みじ, いた, むご

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

惨 (readings: さん, ざん, みじ, いた, むご; Japanese kanji) means “Wretched / Disaster / Cruelty / Harsh”. 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 悲惨 (tragic).

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What does 惨 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	惨
Meaning	Wretched / Disaster / Cruelty / Harsh
Readings	さん, ざん, みじ, いた, むご
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	悲惨 (tragic)

How to read 惨

惨 is read さん or ざん or みじ or いた or むご depending on the word.

Words with 惨

悲惨bi thảm
凄惨thảm khốc

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Updated: 2026-07-22