虐 — “Tyrannize / Oppress” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぎゃく, しいた

Radical ⾌ · radical 141 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Tyrannize / Oppress” in Japanese is 虐, read gyaku, shiita (ぎゃく, しいた). 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 虐待 (abuse).

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What does 虐 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	虐
Meaning	Tyrannize / Oppress
Readings	ぎゃく, しいた
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	虐待 (abuse)

How to read 虐

虐 is read gyaku (ぎゃく) or shiita (しいた) depending on the word.

Words with 虐

虐待

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Kanji read the same way as 虐

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

逆ぎゃく reverse / opposite

Updated: 2026-08-28