振ふりかぶる

ふ

り

か

ぶ

る

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

raise overhead; brandish

Describes the action of lifting something, especially a weapon like a sword or bat, high above one's head, often in preparation to strike.

バッターはバットを振ふりかぶって構かまえた。
The batter raised the bat overhead and got ready.
侍さむらいが刀かたなを振ふりかぶる姿すがたは迫はく力りょくがある

。

The sight of a samurai brandishing a sword overhead is powerful.

Written forms

振ふりかぶるUsage88%
Standard spelling using 振り (swing) and かぶる (raise overhead).
ふりかぶるUsage12%
振ふり被かぶる
Alternate kanji form using 被る, which can also mean 'to put on' or 'to cover', but here it's part of the compound meaning 'to raise overhead'.

Kanji

振shake, wave, wag
被incur, cover, veil

Similar words

振ふり上あげる
振り上げる is transitive and means 'to swing up' or 'to raise' something, while 振りかぶる is intransitive and specifically means to raise something overhead, often with a connotation of preparing to strike.
かざす
かざす means 'to hold up' or 'to shade' with the hand, often used for holding something over one's eyes or holding up a phone. 振りかぶる implies a more dynamic, swinging motion, typically with a weapon or bat.

Etymology

Compound of 振り (swing) + かぶる (raise overhead). The second element is related to the verb 被る (かぶる, to put on one's head), suggesting the action of bringing something up to head level or above.