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晒す sarasu
Put someone on blast, publicly.
What does sarasu mean?
Literally "to expose to the open air". Posting someone's messages, screenshots or name so a crowd can stare. Sometimes it calls out a real scam; often it's a pile-on waiting to happen.
Example
揉めた相手のDMを晒すのはやめておいた。
I decided not to post the DMs from the person I argued with.
Vibe
Who you can say this to, and how it lands.
Very rude Strong language. Worth understanding; think hard before saying it.
Aimed at another person, this is an insult.
The story behind sarasu
晒す is an old, physical verb: to expose something to sun and open air, as you would with cloth or with grain. In the Edo period it also described a punishment, the offender or the head displayed in public so the town could look. The internet reached for that word, and it kept the whole meaning.
Sometimes the target deserves it, and exposure has genuinely stopped scams and abuse. But be clear about the other side. Crowds routinely identify the wrong person, the punishment never scales to the offence, and it does not end when the argument does. Japanese defamation law can apply even to statements that are true, so 晒す can cost the exposer as well.
Get sarasu in your pocket
晒す is one of 308 words in YABAI, a Japanese culture snack for Android. Every word comes with its meaning, an example sentence, a vibe check and a story like the one above — in 13 languages, read aloud by your device. Paid app: no ads, no sign-up, no subscription.
