罵る

• Reading: ののしる
• Romaji: nonoshiru
• Kanji breakdown: 罵 (nonoshi/ba) — abuse, insult, curse
• Pronunciation: /no.no.ɕi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To abuse verbally; to curse at; to shout abuse at someone. Describes harsh, aggressive verbal attacks.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb indicating strong verbal aggression. Much stronger than 怒る (to get angry) or 叱る (to scold). Often appears in news reports about harassment or in literary descriptions of intense conflict.

Examples

1. 酔った客が店員を罵る声が聞こえた。 I heard a drunk customer shouting abuse at the store clerk.
2. どんなに腹が立っても、人を罵ってはいけない。 No matter how angry you get, you should never verbally abuse someone.
3. ネット上で罵られた経験がある人は少なくない。 Quite a few people have experienced being verbally abused online.

Usage Guide

Context: conflict, news reporting, literature

Tone: harsh

Origin & History

From classical Japanese. The kanji 罵 combines 罒 (net radical) and 馬 (horse), though the connection to the meaning of verbal abuse is debated.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal