misogi means A Shinto form of ritual purification by washing the entire body. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
misogi is pronounced /mɪˈsoʊɡi/.
Why “misogi” is a great word
A Shinto ritual of purification involving full-body immersion in moving natural water. Its etymology is From Japanese 禊 (misogi), from Old Japanese, the nominalized form of the verb misogu (禊ぐ, "to perform ablutions"). Unlike harae (which purifies through symbolic gestures or scattered salt) or ablution (a generic, faith-agnostic term for ritual washing), misogi is a profound, physical submission to a sacred element. It is the shock of cold river water at dawn, the weight of a waterfall hammering the shoulders, and the chest constricting as breath is stolen by the cold—a deliberate, elemental ordeal meant to scour the spirit, leaving in its wake a body remade, however briefly, into something unburdened.
Etymology
Borrowing from Japanese 禊 (misogi).
noun
- A Shinto form of ritual purification by washing the entire body.