ほぐれる

ほ

ぐ

れ

る

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

ほぐれる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	ほぐれる	ほぐれない
Polite	ほぐれます	ほぐれません
Past polite	ほぐれました	ほぐれませんでした
Past	ほぐれた	ほぐれなかった
Te-form	ほぐれて	ほぐれないで
Desire	ほぐれたい	ほぐれたくない
Potential	ほぐれられるalso ほぐれれる	ほぐれられないalso ほぐれれない
Passive	ほぐれられる	ほぐれられない
Causative	ほぐれさせる	ほぐれさせない
Causative passive	ほぐれさせられる	ほぐれさせられない
Volitional	ほぐれよう
Polite volitional	ほぐれましょう
Imperative	ほぐれろ	ほぐれるな
Conditional	ほぐれれば	ほぐれなければ
Tara conditional	ほぐれたら	ほぐれなかったら

Pairs with解きほぐす

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

come untied; come apart; loosen

usually written using kana alone

Describes knots, tangles, or tight bundles naturally loosening or coming undone on their own.

靴くつひもがほぐれてしまった。
My shoelace came untied.
絡からまった糸いとが自し然ぜんにほぐれた。
The tangled thread came apart on its own.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

soften; relax; loosen up

usually written using kana alone

Used for stiffness, tension, or a stiff body part becoming softer or more relaxed, often through warmth or massage.

お風ふ呂ろに入はいったら、肩かたのこりがほぐれた。
After taking a bath, the stiffness in my shoulders relaxed.
マッサージで筋きん肉にくがほぐれた。
My muscles loosened up with the massage.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉のもつれがほぐれるfor a tangle (of thread, hair, etc.) to come undone
毛け糸いとのもつれが少すこしずつほぐれた。
The tangle in the yarn slowly came undone.
肩かたの凝こりがほぐれるfor stiff shoulders to loosen up
マッサージで肩かたの凝こりがほぐれた。
The massage loosened up my stiff shoulders.
〈物もの〉の結むすび目めがほぐれるfor a knot to loosen and come apart
靴くつのひもの結むすび目めが自し然ぜんにほぐれた。
The knot in the shoelace loosened by itself.
緊きん張ちょうがほぐれるfor tension or nervousness to ease
彼かれのジョークで会かい場じょうの緊きん張ちょうがほぐれた。
His joke eased the tension in the room.
心こころがほぐれるfor one's mind or feelings to relax
温あたたかい言こと葉ばに心こころがほぐれた。
Her warm words put my mind at ease.

Expressions

くんずほぐれつlocked in a grapple; grappling fiercely; struggling together
くんづほぐれつlocked in a grapple; grappling fiercely

Kanji

解unravel, notes, key

Transitive / intransitive

解ときほぐす
disentangle; untangle; unravel · relax; soften; relieve (stress, tension); remove (doubt)

Related words

ほどけるN1sense 1
解ける describes any kind of knot or fastening coming undone, while ほぐれる specifically suggests a gradual loosening of something that was tightly tangled or twisted.
緩ゆるむN1sense 2
緩む is a broader word for anything becoming loose or slack (screws, rules, schedules), while ほぐれる is used mainly for stiffness or tension in the body or mind easing.

Opposites

こわばるN1sense 2
強張る means a muscle or expression becomes stiff and tense, the opposite of ほぐれる's sense of stiffness melting away.
もつれるN1sense 1
もつれる means threads or strings become tangled together, the opposite of ほぐれる's sense of a tangle coming apart.

Don't confuse with

ほどくN3
解れる (ほぐれる) describes tension, muscles, or feelings loosening on their own, while ほどく is the deliberate act of untying something by hand.

Written forms

ほぐれるUsage94%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 解れる exists but is less common.
解ほぐれるUsage6%
Kanji spelling; learners may encounter it but kana is preferred.

Etymology

Intransitive form related to ほぐす (to untie, loosen). The exact derivation is uncertain, but it shares the root with words expressing loosening or softening.