Meaning
The kanji 斥 means to repel, reject, or exclude. This character expresses the act of pushing something or someone away — turning down a proposal, excluding a person from a group, driving out an enemy, or describing a physical force that pushes objects apart. It is a decisive character that conveys active refusal and forceful rejection.
斥 is built around the radical 斤 (kin), which represents an axe or chopping tool. The visual structure evokes a sharp blade cutting away and casting aside what is unwanted — a fitting metaphor for the sharp, decisive act of rejection. This axe radical gives 斥 a forcefulness that softer words of refusal simply lack.
A less obvious meaning is scouting or reconnaissance, preserved in the classical compound 斥候 (せっこう). The sense probably comes from a soldier being separated — pushed out — from the main group to gather intelligence. Today this usage turns up mostly in historical novels and period dramas, but it shows how broad the character's range actually is.
斥 also appears in the physics term 斥力 (せきりょく), meaning repulsive force — the push you feel when pressing two magnets together at their like poles. The scientific usage captures the character's core idea with unusual precision: two things actively pushing each other away.
With only 5 strokes, 斥 packs a lot of weight. It is classified as Grade 8 in the Japanese educational system — not taught in elementary school but expected knowledge for educated adults. For JLPT N1 candidates, it appears across formal writing, academic texts, news articles, and scientific literature.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading of 斥 is セキ (SEKI). This is the reading used in compound words (熟語, jukugo) and is how you will encounter this kanji most often in formal written Japanese. The セキ reading spans compounds from everyday social language through military terminology and physics.
Key compounds using the セキ reading:
- 排斥 (haiseki) — exclusion, rejection, boycott. The most commonly encountered compound using 斥. It describes the active rejection or exclusion of a person, group, idea, or product. Look for it in news articles covering social discrimination, trade disputes, and political conflicts.
- 斥力 (sekiryoku) — repulsive force. The physics and engineering term for the force that repels two bodies, such as magnets with like poles or particles carrying the same electric charge.
- 斥候 (sekkō) — scout, reconnaissance soldier. A classical military term for a soldier sent ahead of the main unit to observe the enemy. Still seen in historical and literary contexts.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi reading is しりぞ・ける (shirizoke・ru). The dot (・) marks the boundary between the kanji portion (しりぞ) and the okurigana (ける). This native Japanese transitive verb means "to reject, to repel, to drive away, or to push back." It gives the character a more personal and direct quality compared to the on'yomi compounds.
Common conjugated forms:
- 斥ける (shirizokeru) — to reject, to repel (dictionary form)
- 斥けた (shirizoketa) — rejected, repelled (past tense)
- 斥けられる (shirizoke rareru) — to be rejected (passive form)
Note that しりぞける is fairly formal. In casual conversation, Japanese speakers tend to use 断る (ことわる, kotowaru — to decline) or 拒否する (きょひする, kyohi suru — to formally reject). Save しりぞける for formal writing and literary contexts where a stronger tone of rejection is called for.
Common Words & Compounds
Below are the words and compounds using 斥 that appear most often at the JLPT N1 level and in formal reading materials, grouped by domain.
Rejection & Social Exclusion:
- 排斥 (haiseki) — exclusion, rejection, boycott. The flagship compound of 斥, seen regularly in discussions of social discrimination, trade wars, and political conflict.
- 排斥運動 (haiseki undō) — exclusion movement, boycott campaign. Refers to organized efforts to drive out a particular group, product, or ideology from society or the marketplace.
- 外来品排斥 (gairaihin haiseki) — rejection of foreign goods. A phrase from historical and economic texts on trade protectionism and nationalist movements.
Physics & Science:
- 斥力 (sekiryoku) — repulsive force. The fundamental physics term for the force that pushes two objects apart, contrasted directly with 引力 (いんりょく, inryoku — attractive force or gravity).
- 静電斥力 (seiden sekiryoku) — electrostatic repulsion. Used in chemistry and physics to describe the repulsion between particles carrying the same electric charge.
Military & Historical:
- 斥候 (sekkō) — scout, spy, reconnoiterer. A classical military term for soldiers sent ahead to gather intelligence on enemy positions.
- 斥候兵 (sekkōhei) — scout soldier, reconnaissance trooper. Seen in historical novels, war films, and period dramas set in feudal or imperial Japan.
Verb & Adjective Forms:
- 斥ける (shirizokeru) — to reject, to repel, to push away (active, transitive verb)
- 斥けがたい (shirizoke gatai) — difficult to reject, hard to refuse. Useful for describing tempting offers or compelling arguments.
- 斥けられない (shirizoke rarenai) — cannot be rejected, irrefusable. The negative potential passive form, expressing that something is too compelling to turn away.
Example Sentences
その提案は委員会によって排斥された。
Sono teian wa iinkai ni yotte haiseki sareta.
The proposal was rejected by the committee.
斥候が夜中に敵の陣地を偵察した。
Sekkō ga yonaka ni teki no jinchi wo teisatsu shita.
The scout reconnoitered the enemy's position in the middle of the night.
磁石の同じ極どうしには斥力が働く。
Jishaku no onaji kyoku dōshi ni wa sekiryoku ga hataraku.
A repulsive force acts between like poles of a magnet.
彼は友人の忠告を斥けて、独自の判断で進んだ。
Kare wa yūjin no chūkoku wo shirizokete, dokuji no handan de susunda.
He rejected his friend's advice and proceeded based on his own judgment.
外国からの輸入品を排斥する運動が全国に広がった。
Gaikoku kara no yunyūhin wo haiseki suru undō ga zenkoku ni hirogatta.
A movement to boycott imported foreign goods spread across the entire country.
その思想は時代遅れとして社会から排斥された。
Sono shisō wa jidai okure to shite shakai kara haiseki sareta.
That ideology was rejected by society as being outdated.
どんな困難があっても、彼女の申し出を斥けることはできなかった。
Donna konnan ga atte mo, kanojo no mōshide wo shirizokeru koto wa dekinakatta.
No matter what difficulties arose, I simply couldn't bring myself to reject her offer.
部長は新しいシステムの導入を斥け、従来の方法を維持することにした。
Buchō wa atarashii shisutemu no dōnyū wo shirizoke, jūrai no hōhō wo iji suru koto ni shita.
The department manager rejected the introduction of the new system and decided to maintain the existing method.
彼の主張は証拠不十分として裁判所に排斥された。
Kare no shuchō wa shōko fujūbun to shite saibansho ni haiseki sareta.
His argument was rejected by the court on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Memory Tip
Picture a warrior gripping an axe — the 斤 radical sitting at the base of the character — and thrusting it outward to drive an intruder back. That single gesture of pushing away is what 斥 is all about. For the reading セキ, think of a SECT that turns away all outsiders: members only, no exceptions.
To remember 排斥 (はいせき, haiseki), try the chant "HAI-SEKI-OUT" — a shout to drive someone from the group. For 斥候 (せっこう, sekkō), picture a lone spy sent out ahead of the army to SEEK information (SEEK-O → SEKKO), pushed forward and separated from the rest.