hentai
hentai Lexical Profile
hentai Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A subgenre of Japanese manga, anime, and computer games characterized by sexually explicit or pornographic content and imagery.
"Many online platforms have strict age-verification policies regarding the distribution of hentai."
(In Japanese cultural contexts) A person whose sexual behavior or desires are regarded as abnormal or perverted; a pervert.
"In Japanese comedy tropes, a character caught peeking is often loudly called a hentai."
• adjective
Relating to or characteristic of sexually explicit Japanese anime, manga, or video games.
"The store keeps its hentai publications in a restricted section for adults only."
Word Nuance & Usage
In English, 'hentai' refers specifically to sexually explicit Japanese anime and manga, whereas in Japanese it is a general term meaning 'pervert' or 'abnormal' (while explicit media is typically called 'ero-anime' or 'ero-manga').
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 変態 (hentai), meaning 'metamorphosis', 'abnormality', or 'perversion', a compound of 変 (hen, 'change' or 'strange') and 態 (tai, 'condition' or 'appearance').