Japanese word

襲う

Pronunciation

Romajiosou

Meaning

  • verbattack

Example

突然、空腹が私を襲います。totsu zen kū fuku ga watashi o oso i ma su

A sudden hunger pang hits me.

Illustration for 襲う (attack)

More examples

野生の動物が村を襲いました。ya sei no dō butsu ga mura o oso i ma shi ta

A wild animal attacked the village.

Core concept

Describes a sudden forceful arrival that strikes or overwhelms a person, place, or thing, whether the cause is an attacker, a feeling, or a natural event.

Common phrases

  • 人を襲うhito o oso u

    attack a person

  • 敵を襲うteki o oso u

    attack an enemy

Similar words

攻撃するkōgekisuru: To try to harm or defeat a person, place, or group by using force.
襲いかかるosoikakaru: To move suddenly and forcefully toward a person or animal to attack the target.

Definition in Japanese

人や動物などが、相手に急に激しく危害を加えること。転じて、災害や感情などが突然身に及ぶこと。hito ya dō butsu na do ga ai te ni kyū ni hage shi ku ki gai o kuwa e ru ko to ten ji te sai gai ya kan jō na do ga totsu zen mi ni oyo bu ko to

Word origin

As a native Japanese verb, 襲う (osō) continues the older form おそふ (osofu), meaning to come upon someone suddenly and forcefully.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the English verb attack, 襲う (osō) naturally takes abstract subjects such as hunger, sleepiness, or memories when they suddenly overwhelm someone.

Other meanings

  • hitverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word