adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɛ.tʃi/
General-American:/ˈɛ.tʃiː/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛtʃi
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of animation, erotic, lascivious, lewd, naughty, sexy, suggestive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Japanese
Topics: fiction, literature, media, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A genre, especially of anime and manga, featuring playful, tongue-in-cheek usage of sexualized scenes and situations such as double entendre or flirtation, while remaining non-pornographic. Often used to differentiate from hentai which features overt sexual themes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Japanese, uncountable
Topics: fiction, literature, media, publishing
Examples
The manga fan was disturbingly proud of his extensive ecchi collection.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A situation within a story, especially anime and manga, which ventures into the ecchi genre.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Japanese, countable, rare
Qualifier: proscribed by fandom
Topics: fiction, literature, media, publishing
Examples
There was a moment of ecchi for comic relief in the otherwise serious story.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Japanese エッチ (etchi, “dirty; perverted”), which is derived from English aitch (“name of the letter ⟨H⟩”), which is an initialism of the romaji of Japanese 変(へん)態(たい) (hentai, “pervert”). エッチ (etchi) is not a genre in Japanese; this is a development in English (Pseudo-Japonism), similar to that of hentai from 変(へん)態(たい) (hentai, “pervert”) above.
Across languages
Translations
7 source translations are retained for this English entry.