威 (Kanji for terrible majesty)

This is one of the most "no-English-equivalent-y" words in the whole Japanese language. Why is majestic stuff scary? Who is scared of Prince? He's like five feet tall. I guess you have to think like a medieval peasant to really get the meaning.

Onyomi

Mnemonic

The dude became a woman, and as she vogued majestically, and I was scared!

Jukugo

威厳(いげん) のある

majestic/scary ★★☆☆☆
威 (terrible majesty) + 厳 (strict) = 威厳 (majestic/scary)

majestic , slow and dignified but scary - like a bunch of gangsters slowly walking down the street while the Peter Gunn theme plays. Or a parade float of your mom's neck-beard.

権威(けんい)

authority ★★☆☆☆
権 (rights) + 威 (terrible majesty) = 権威 (authority)

an authority one has based on power alone (parents, cops, etc.) rather than on rights (authority based on rights is　権利（けんり））

威張ってる(いばってる)

arrogant ★☆☆☆☆ 1/2 KANA
威 (terrible majesty) + 張 (stretch) = 威張ってる (arrogant)

Lookalikes

	Meaning	Hint	Radical
厳	strict	NEEDLE	針
歳	years old	STOP	止
滅	annihilate	FIRE AND WATER	水
威	terrible majesty	WOMAN	女

The strict nurse injects you with a NEEDLE,

but the drug STOPS you from aging.

Both FIRE AND WATER can annihilate a city,

but that WOMAN has a terrible majesty even more scary!

威 terrible majesty

Onyomi

Mnemonic

Jukugo

Lookalikes

Synonyms