音読み: シュウ
訓読み: おそう
画数: 22
部首: ころも（衣）
Meaning
Attack / advance on / succeed to / inherit.
- Basic forms
- 襲う — attack; strike / base form
- 襲います — attacks / masu form
- 襲った — attacked; struck / ta form
- 襲って — attacking … / te form
- 襲わない — do not attack / negative
- 襲えば — if (something) attacks / conditional
- Common expressions
- 敵を襲う — attack an enemy
- 突然の不安に襲われた — was struck by sudden anxiety
- 台風が街を襲った — a typhoon hit the city
- More
- 襲われる — be attacked / passive
襲う（おそう） is a godan transitive verb. It refers not only to physical attacks, but also to sudden, overwhelming events or emotions, such as fear, disaster, or exhaustion.
- 襲う — to attack; to assault
- 襲撃 — raid; attack; assault
- 奇襲 — surprise attack
- 強襲 — strong assault
- 世襲 — hereditary succession
- 継襲 — succession; inheritance
- 夜襲 — night raid
The kanji combines the clothing element with the sound component 龍 (dragon). Together, it suggests wrapping or layering like a garment, but also conveys the sudden, overwhelming force of a dragon — leading to meanings such as “attack” and “advance.” By extension, it also means “inherit” or “succeed to,” as traditions and roles are carried forward.