汚名

• Reading: おめい
• Romaji: omei
• Kanji breakdown: 汚 (o/kitana) — filth, disgrace, defile; 名 (mei/na) — name, reputation, fame
• Pronunciation: /o.meː/

Meaning

Bad reputation; stigma; dishonour; infamy. A name or reputation tarnished by scandal, failure, or wrongdoing.

Composed of 汚 (filth/disgrace) and 名 (name/reputation). Frequently used in the set phrases 汚名をそそぐ (to wash away dishonour) and 汚名を返上する (to restore one's honour by clearing one's name). Indicates a reputation that has become associated with something shameful, often unfairly. More formal and literary than 悪評 (negative reviews/reputation).

Examples

1. 冤罪で失った名誉を回復するため、彼は汚名をそそぐ戦いを諦めなかった。 In order to restore the honour he had lost through a wrongful conviction, he never gave up the fight to clear his name.
2. 会社は不正経理の発覚で汚名を着せられたが、改革によって信頼を取り戻しつつある。 The company was stigmatised when accounting fraud was uncovered, but it is gradually regaining trust through reform.
3. 歴史上の人物が後世に汚名を残すことになった背景は、必ずしも単純ではない。 The background to why a historical figure came to leave behind an infamous reputation for posterity is not always straightforward.

Usage Guide

Context: society, politics, reputation, journalism, literature

Tone: serious

Origin & History

汚 (o, filth/defilement/disgrace) + 名 (mei/na, name/reputation). The contrast between the purity expected of one's name and the defilement of 汚 captures the essence of a ruined reputation. Used in classical Chinese and Japanese texts.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Contemporary

Generation: Adults

Social background: General