力りきむ

り

き

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

力む · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	力りきむ	力りきまない
Polite	力りきみます	力りきみません
Past polite	力りきみました	力りきみませんでした
Past	力りきんだ	力りきまなかった
Te-form	力りきんで	力りきまないで
Desire	力りきみたい	力りきみたくない
Potential	力りきめる	力りきめない
Passive	力りきまれる	力りきまれない
Causative	力りきませる	力りきませない
Causative passive	力りきませられるalso 力りきまされる	力りきませられないalso 力りきまされない
Volitional	力りきもう
Polite volitional	力りきみましょう
Imperative	力りきめ	力りきむな
Conditional	力りきめば	力りきまなければ
Tara conditional	力りきんだら	力りきまなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

strain oneself; bear down; exert oneself; try too hard

Physical or mental effort where one tenses up, pushes too hard, or forces strength. Often implies unnecessary strain or trying too hard, sometimes with a negative nuance of overexertion.

重おもい荷に物もつを持もち上あげようと力りきみすぎて、腰こしを痛いためた。
I strained too hard trying to lift the heavy luggage and hurt my back.
試し験けん中ちゅう、力りきんでしまって普ふ段だんの実じつ力りょくが出だせなかった。
During the exam, I tensed up and couldn't perform as well as usual.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

put on a bold front; swagger; bluff; boast

Acting tough, showing off strength, or bluffing to impress others. Often used when someone is trying to appear stronger or more confident than they really are.

彼かれはみんなの前まえで力りきんで見みせたが、内ない心しんは不ふ安あんだった。
He put on a bold front in front of everyone, but inside he was anxious.
そんなに力りきまなくても、ありのままでいいよ。
You don't have to swagger like that; just be yourself.

See all 12 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉で力りきむto tense up / strain too hard at a crucial moment
大だい事じな試し合あいで力りきんでしまった。
I tensed up too much during the important match.
〈相あい手て〉に力りきんで見みせるto put on a bold front for someone
彼かれは先せん輩ぱいに力りきんで見みせた。
He put on a bold front to impress his senpai.
力りきんで〈動どう詞し〉to overexert oneself while doing something, often causing a mistake
力りきんで打うったら、ボールが変へんな方ほう向こうに飛とんだ。
I swung too hard and the ball flew off in a strange direction.

Kanji

力power, strength, strong

Related words

頑がん張ばるN5sense 1
頑張る means to do one's best or persist positively, while 力む often implies excessive straining or showing off, with a negative or forced nuance.
威い張ばるN2sense 2
威張る means to boast or act arrogant toward others, while 力む in this sense means putting on a bold front to seem tougher or more confident than one is.
いきむ sense 1
息む specifically means to bear down physically (e.g. during childbirth or lifting), while 力む covers both physical straining and mental over-effort more broadly.
緊きん張ちょうN4sense 1
緊張する is general nervous tension, whereas 力む specifically refers to physical or mental straining, often with visible effort or bluffing.

Don't confuse with

力ちからづける
力づける looks similar and shares the kanji 力, but it means to encourage someone else, unlike 力む which describes straining or bluffing about oneself.

Written forms

力りきむUsage84%
Standard kanji form; the reading りきむ is the only one given.
りきむUsage16%

Etymology

Compound of 力 (chikara, 'strength') and the verb-forming suffix む (mu), meaning 'to apply strength'. The reading りきむ uses the on'yomi of 力.