妄 means “delusion, reckless”

もう · mou

Also: unnecessarily, without authority

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

みだりに

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

モウ, ボウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 6 strokes

The story

Lost (亡) above 女: picture a mind that has lost its hold on what is real and wandered off into its own story. 妄想 is a delusion or a wild daydream, and 被害妄想 is the conviction that everyone is out to get you.

Used in 妄想 (mousou, delusion/fantasy) and 被害妄想 (higaimousou, persecution complex)

More from Hidden & Hazy

• 蔽 cover
• 曖 dim
• 昧 dark
• 踪 trail
• 惑 be bewildered
• 密 secret
• 秘 secret
• 紛 mix in
• 隠 hide
• 潜 dive
• 覆 cover
• 披 open

Learn 妄 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.