かきむしる

か

き

む

し

る

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

tear off; pluck; scratch off

usually written using kana alone

Describes violently pulling, tearing, or scratching something off with one's hands or nails, often in a frantic or desperate manner.

彼かれは怒おこってポスターを壁かべからかきむしった。
He angrily tore the poster off the wall.

猫ねこがカーペットをかきむしる。

The cat scratches at the carpet.

Written forms

かきむしるUsage84%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are less common.
搔かき毟むしるUsage7%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant using the older form 搔.
掻かき毟むしるUsage5%
Kanji spelling using 掻く (scratch) and 毟る (pluck).
掻かきむしるUsage4%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling.

Kanji

掻scratch, rake, comb
毟pluck, pick, tear
搔to scratch

Similar words

むしる
むしる means to pluck or pick (feathers, hair, etc.) without the violent, scratching nuance of かきむしる.
ひっかく
ひっかく means to scratch (a surface or skin), often leaving a mark, but does not imply tearing off.

Etymology

Compound of 掻く (kaku, 'scratch') and 毟る (mushiru, 'pluck'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys violent tearing or scratching off.