Less common than the figurative 'keenly feel' sense; used for tight contact, firm pressure, or something closing in hard. In many everyday physical contexts, ひしと is more usual.

追おっ手てが背はい後ごからひしひしと迫せまってきた。
The pursuers closed in hard from behind.
古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「ひしひしと抱だきしめる」のように強つよく密みっ着ちゃくする意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉をひしひしと感かんじるto feel something (e.g. pressure, danger, guilt) acutely
自じ分ぶんの責せき任にんをひしひしと感かんじた。
I keenly felt my own responsibility.
〈相あい手て〉がひしひしと迫せまってくるfor someone/something to press in tightly and relentlessly
敵てきの軍ぐん勢ぜいがひしひしと迫せまってきた。
The enemy forces closed in on us relentlessly.
〈事こと〉がひしひしと伝つたわってくるfor something (an emotion, atmosphere) to come through strongly
彼かれの怒いかりがひしひしと伝つたわってきた。
His anger came through to me with real force.
〈事こと〉がひしひしと身みに迫せまるfor a threat or hardship to press acutely upon oneself
危き険けんがひしひしと身みに迫せまるのを感かんじた。
I felt the danger closing in on me sharply.

Kanji

犇clamour, crowded
緊tense, solid, hard

Related words

しみじみN2sense 1
しみじみ describes a quiet, reflective emotional feeling, while ひしひし conveys a stronger, more pressing sense of feeling something acutely.
つくづくN2sense 1
つくづく expresses a deep, often resigned realization (e.g. つくづく思う), whereas ひしひし emphasizes the force or intensity with which a feeling presses in.
ジワジワ sense 1
じわじわ describes something spreading or taking effect gradually, while ひしひし emphasizes how strongly or acutely something is felt, often suddenly.

Don't confuse with

ひしと sense 2
ひしと and ひしひし look and sound alike, but ひしと usually describes a single firm, tight physical action (like an embrace), while ひしひし describes a repeated or ongoing sense of pressure, physical or emotional.

Written forms

ひしひしUsage92%
Standard practical spelling; usually written in kana.
ヒシヒシUsage6%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is attested and can be used for emphasis or a more vivid sound-symbolic feel.
犇ひし々ひしUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji spelling given; kana is normally preferred.

Etymology

A native Japanese sound-symbolic adverb; the exact historical derivation is uncertain. The rare kanji spellings are conventional written forms, while kana is the normal spelling.

In older writing, it is sometimes used in the sense of holding someone tightly, as in “ひしひしと抱きしめる.”

犇ひし犇ひし

rarely-used kanji form

Rare uncontracted kanji spelling given; mainly useful for recognition.

緊ひし緊ひし

rarely-used kanji form

Rare kanji spelling given; mainly useful for recognition.

緊ひし々ひし

rarely-used kanji form

Rare kanji spelling given; kana is normally preferred.