斥 — “Reject / Retreat / Recede / Withdraw” in Japanese

Master (高手)せき, しりぞ

Radical ⽄ · radical 69 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Reject / Retreat / Recede / Withdraw” in Japanese is 斥, read seki, shirizo (せき, しりぞ). 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 排斥 (exclusion).

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What does 斥 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	斥
Meaning	Reject / Retreat / Recede / Withdraw
Readings	せき, しりぞ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	排斥 (exclusion)

How to read 斥

斥 is read seki (せき) or shirizo (しりぞ) depending on the word.

Words with 斥

排斥

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Kanji read the same way as 斥

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28