「均」 means equal, and 「衡」 means the crossbar of a balance, that is, equilibrium; the word combines two characters both related to balance. It refers to a state in which the forces or quantities of two or more things are balanced with each other. Used in expressions like 「均衡を保つ」 or 「均衡を破る」. It is a formal word frequently appearing in contexts of power relations in economy, politics, and nature.
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N2均質きんしつ
It refers to the property or quality being the same throughout the whole. Used in expressions like 「均質な製品」 or 「均質化」. It is a formal word frequently appearing in industrial and scientific contexts, often used in quality control situations.
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N1緊縮きんしゅく
「緊」 means to tighten, and 「縮」 means to shrink; together they mean to tighten and shrink. It refers to constraining and reducing expenditure or scale. Used in expressions like 「緊縮財政」 or 「緊縮政策」, it is a formal word frequently appearing in economic and administrative contexts, contrasted with 「拡大」.
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N2均等きんとう
It refers to all being equal with no differences. Used in expressions like 「均等に配分する」 or 「機会均等」. It is a somewhat formal word expressing fairness in distribution, opportunity, or ratio.
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N1緊迫きんぱく
「緊」 means tense, and 「迫」 means to press in; together they mean tense and pressing in. It refers to a situation in a strained, imminent state. Used in expressions like 「緊迫した情勢」 or 「現場が緊迫する」, it is a formal word frequently appearing in news reports, used for political, diplomatic, or incident-scene contexts.
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N1吟味ぎんみ
「吟」 means to recite poetry and savor it, and 「味」 means to taste; the word combines two characters both meaning to savor and consider. It refers to closely examining content or quality and selecting carefully. Used in expressions like 「材料を吟味する」 or 「言葉を吟味する」, it means to carefully consider in order to choose what is good, and is a formal word used broadly for selecting ingredients, language, and products.
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N5金曜日きんようび
Friday. A day of the week. The day after Thursday.
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N2区域くいき
It refers to a fixed range of land or space partitioned for a particular purpose. Used in expressions like 「立入禁止区域」 or 「居住区域」, it is a formal word that partitions and indicates a geographical or spatial range.
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N1食い込むくいこむ
It refers to going beyond the original range and entering another domain. Used in expressions like 「予算に食い込む」 or 「上位に食い込む」, in situations where what should originally be on the outside enters the inside, such as time, budget, or ranking. It also has the physical meaning of being deeply embedded.
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N1食い下がるくいさがる
It refers to not giving up and persistently pressing on the other party. Used in expressions like 「記者が大臣に食い下がる」, in situations of pursuing without retreating even when the other party hesitates to answer. It is derived from the original meaning of physically clinging on.
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N2食い違うくいちがう
It refers to two or more things being misaligned and not matching. Used in expressions like 「意見が食い違う」 or 「証言が食い違う」, in situations where statements or perceptions do not match. It can also be used for physical misalignment of joinery.
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N2食い止めるくいとめる
It refers to preventing a bad situation from spreading further. Used in expressions like 「被害を食い止める」 or 「進行を食い止める」, in situations of stopping ongoing harm or momentum partway through.
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N2区画くかく
It refers to a range of land or space divided by a fixed boundary line. Used in expressions like 「区画整理」 or 「住宅区画」, it refers to a domain demarcated on a map.
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N5九月くがつ
The 9th month of the year. It is read 「くがつ」, not 「きゅうがつ」.
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N1苦境くきょう
「苦」 means hardship, and 「境」 means situation; together they mean a painful situation. It refers to a position or circumstance that is extremely painful. Used in expressions like 「苦境に立たされる」 or 「苦境に陥る」, it is a formal word for situations of being driven into difficulty. It frequently appears in economic and political articles.
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N2区切りくぎり
A break in things, or the point at which a continuous task reaches a stopping point. Used in expressions like 「区切りをつける」 or 「区切りがいい」, it is an abstract noun used in situations of partitioning the stages of work or of life.
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N2苦言くげん
「苦」 means bitter, and 「言」 means words; together they mean words that taste bitter to the ear. It refers to advice given out of consideration for the listener, though hard for them to hear. Used in expressions like 「苦言を呈する」 or 「苦言を聞く」, it is a formal word for stern advice from a senior or experienced person.
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N1具現化ぐげんか
「具」 means concrete, 「現」 means to manifest, and 「化」 means to turn into; together they mean to manifest in a concrete form. It refers to giving an abstract idea or ideal a visible, concrete form and realizing it. Used in expressions like 「理想を具現化する」 or 「夢を具現化する」, it is a formal word used when bringing a concept into actual form.
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N1駆使くし
「駆」 means to drive forward, and 「使」 means to use; together they mean to drive forward and use at will. It refers to skillfully using knowledge, technique, or language that one possesses, as one wishes. Used in expressions like 「最新技術を駆使する」 or 「三カ国語を駆使する」, in situations of freely employing high-level abilities.
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N1くしくもくしくも
By a mysterious turn of events. Used in expressions like 「くしくも同じ日に」, it is an adverb leaning toward written language, used in situations where a coincidental match is felt to be fateful. It is also written with the kanji 「奇しくも」.
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N2苦し紛れくしまぎれ
It refers to actions or remarks given in the moment without thinking about consequences, due to extreme distress. Used in expressions like 「苦し紛れの言い訳」, it indicates the desperate response given when one is driven into a corner.
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N2苦渋くじゅう
「苦」 means bitter, and 「渋」 means astringent; the word shifts from the taste sensations of bitterness and astringency to mental anguish. It refers to suffering and being troubled. Used in expressions like 「苦渋の決断」 or 「苦渋に満ちた表情」, it is a formal word for inner anguish faced when confronting problems with no easy answer.
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N2駆除くじょ
「駆」 means to drive away, and 「除」 means to remove; together they mean to drive away and remove. It refers to removing creatures that cause harm. Used in expressions like 「害虫駆除」 or 「ネズミの駆除」, in situations of eliminating pests, harmful animals, or weeds that are harmful to humans.
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N2苦笑くしょう
A bitter laugh in which feelings of perplexity or exasperation outweigh amusement. Used in expressions like 「苦笑を浮かべる」, it refers to the weak laugh shown in situations where laughing is the only thing one can do.
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N2苦情くじょう
A complaint one voices to another party about trouble or dissatisfaction one has experienced.
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N2苦心くしん
To rack one's brains and go through difficulty in order to accomplish something.
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N5薬くすり
medicine. Something taken or applied to cure illness or injury. Used with the verb 「薬をのむ」 (to take medicine).
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N2苦戦くせん
「苦」 means hardship, and 「戦」 means battle; together they mean a difficult battle. It refers to opponents or circumstances in matches, competitions, or work being so tough that things do not progress as intended. Used in expressions like 「苦戦を強いられる」 or 「販売が苦戦する」, it is often used in sports and business contexts.
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N2愚痴ぐち
It refers to repeatedly grumbling with dissatisfaction about things that are useless to talk about. Used in expressions like 「愚痴をこぼす」 or 「愚痴を言う」, in situations of letting out complaints that lead to no solution.
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N1口裏くちうら
「口裏」 refers to the back side of spoken words—that is, the content of what has been said. It expresses multiple people aligning the content of their stories. It is a noun used in a virtually fixed form as 「口裏を合わせる」, and often appears in contexts suggesting illicit collusion.
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N2口数くちかず
The amount of words a person speaks. Used in expressions like 「口数が少ない」 or 「口数が多い」, it is an everyday word used in situations of expressing a person's character or mood through how much they speak.
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N1駆逐くちく
「駆」 means to drive away, and 「逐」 means to drive away; the word combines two synonymous characters. It refers to driving away undesirable things. Used in expressions like 「悪貨は良貨を駆逐する」 or 「敵を駆逐する」, it is a formal word used in the sense of completely removing something from a certain area.
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N1口車くちぐるま
「口車」 is a metaphorical term referring to something that, like a wheel, uses skillful words to move the other person. It refers to a way of speaking that tries to deceive others through clever talk. Used idiomatically in the forms 「口車に乗る」 or 「口車に乗せる」, in situations of being deceived by clever speech.
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N1口先くちさき
A word transferred from the original meaning of the tip of the mouth, referring to superficial words that have no heart in them. Used in expressions like 「口先だけ」 or 「口先で言う」, it critically points to a manner in which words do not match action or one's true heart.
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N1口添えくちぞえ
It refers to adding helpful words from the side so that another's request or negotiation goes smoothly. Used in expressions like 「口添えを頼む」, in situations where a third party steps in between to provide support.
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N2口出しくちだし
It refers to adding unnecessary opinions or interference to matters with which one is not directly involved. Used in expressions like 「口出しをするな」 or 「他人に口出しする」, it is a noun used in critical contexts.
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N1口止めくちどめ
It refers to telling someone not to mention something to others. Used in expressions like 「口止めをする」 or 「口止め料」, in situations of warning someone in advance to keep something secret.
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N1口走るくちばしる
It refers to thoughtlessly, or in excitement, blurting out something one should not say. Used in expressions like 「秘密を口走る」 or 「失言を口走る」, it indicates a remark made contrary to the speaker's intention.
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N2朽ち果てるくちはてる
It refers to completely rotting to the point of losing its original form. Used in expressions like 「朽ち果てた廃屋」, it describes the state of an object that has rotted and decayed to the utmost over a long period. It is also used metaphorically in the sense of fame fading away.
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N1口火くちび
「口火」 originally referred to the part used to light the first fire in a matchlock gun or a stove. From this, it came to be used metaphorically for the trigger that starts something. As in 「議論の口火を切る」 or 「事件の口火となる」, it refers to an action or event that becomes the initial trigger for something to occur.
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N2口元くちもと
The area around the mouth, the surroundings of the mouth. Used in expressions like 「口元が緩む」 or 「口元を覆う」, in situations of describing it as a body part where expression or emotion appears.
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N1朽ちるくちる
It refers to wood or plants rotting and falling to pieces over time. Used in expressions like 「朽ちた門」 or 「名声が朽ちる」, by metaphor it is also used for the decline of reputation or memory, not just for physical things.
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N2苦痛くつう
It refers to physical or mental suffering or pain. Used in expressions like 「苦痛を訴える」 or 「苦痛に耐える」, it is used broadly from medical settings to everyday life.
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N1覆すくつがえす
Originally it means to physically turn over a boat or vessel. From the original use as in 「机を覆す」, it came to be used metaphorically for overturning a stable state and changing it at its root. It is most often used in situations of reversing what has been decided or an established view, such as judgments, accepted theories, or political systems, as in 「定説を覆す」 or 「政権を覆す」.
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N1覆るくつがえる
Originally it means for a boat or vessel to physically turn over. From the original use as in 「船が覆る」, it came to be used metaphorically for a stable state being overturned and changing at its root. It is most often used in situations where what had been decided or an established view is reversed, as in 「判決が覆る」 or 「定説が覆る」.
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N1屈強くっきょう
「屈」 means to bend or be broken in spirit, and 「強」 means strong. It describes being so strong that even when bent one does not yield, hence having a sturdy build and strong physical power. Used in expressions like 「屈強な体格」 or 「屈強な男たち」, it is a formal word for describing a person of outstanding physical strength.
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N1屈指くっし
It refers to being so few that they can be counted on one's fingers, or outstanding enough to be included among them. Used in expressions like 「世界屈指の名選手」 or 「業界屈指の企業」, it is a formal word for being included in the top few people or companies.
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N2屈辱くつじょく
「屈」 means to bow down, and 「辱」 means humiliation; together they express humiliation so great that one is forced to bow down. It refers to the unbearable shame and resentment felt when one's pride is hurt. Used in expressions like 「屈辱を味わう」 or 「屈辱に耐える」, it refers to the deep mental pain suffered in situations of defeat or insult.
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N2屈折くっせつ
It refers to something that had been moving straight bending and turning. In addition to the physical phenomenon of the path of light or sound changing, it is also used for the manner of the psyche being complexly distorted, as in 「屈折した感情」.
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N1屈託くったく
A state in which worry or anxiety lingers in one's heart and does not clear away. It is also used in the affirmative, as in 「屈託のある表情」, but it is especially often used in the negative form, as in 「屈託のない笑顔」 or 「屈託なく笑う」, to express a bright, carefree appearance.
This word has different meanings and uses at each level
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