also: こり
muscle stiffness; knot in the shoulder
Refers to physical stiffness or a knot in muscles, especially in the shoulders and neck. Often used in the context of massage or relaxation.
The stiffness in my shoulders was so bad that I went for a massage.
lingering discomfort; uneasiness; bad aftertaste
Only with reading しこり
Metaphorical use describing a persistent feeling of unease, resentment, or dissatisfaction that remains after an event. Often used in the phrase 心のしこり.
A knot formed in my shoulder.
I got a knot in my neck from long hours of desk work.
If you feel a lump in your breast, you should see a doctor immediately.
Those words from back then still linger as a feeling of unease in my heart.
We cleared up our mutual bad feelings through discussion.
After the fight with him, a lingering unease stayed with me.
A lump was found in her breast during the checkup.
I got rid of my shoulder stiffness with a massage.
こわばり refers to general stiffness or rigidity of muscles or expression, while 凝り (しこり) specifically implies a palpable hard knot in the muscle.
腫瘤 is the formal medical term for a lump or mass in tissue, while 凝り (しこり) is the everyday word people use to describe the same thing.
Used for small lumps or knots in everyday speech.
Standard kanji spelling for the reading しこり. Used for both physical stiffness and metaphorical lingering feelings.
Alternate reading こり for the stiffness sense; less common than しこり.
Kana spelling is usual for the medical lump sense and the metaphorical uneasiness sense.
Rarely used abbreviated kanji form; not recommended for learners.
Abbreviated kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
Abbreviated kanji form with the reading こり; very rare.
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.
Noun form of the verb 凝る (こる), meaning 'to become stiff' or 'to congeal'. The reading しこり is an irregular shift from こり, possibly influenced by sound symbolism or historical phonetic changes.