右う往おう左さ往おう

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

右往左往する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

rushing around in confusion; running every which way; flustered movement

Describes people moving about chaotically, often in panic or disarray. Commonly used with する to mean 'to rush around in confusion'.

〈人ひと〉が〈場ば所しょ〉を右う往おう左さ往おうするfor people to rush around a place in confusion
地じ震しんの後あと、住じゅう民みんたちは駅えきの周まわりを右う往おう左さ往おうした。
After the earthquake, the residents ran around in confusion near the station.
〈事こと〉に右う往おう左さ往おうするto be thrown into confused scrambling by some event or situation
突とつ然ぜんのルール変へん更こうに社しゃ員いんたちは右う往おう左さ往おうした。
The employees were thrown into confusion by the sudden rule change.

てんやわんや
てんやわんや describes a lively, often humorous uproar of many people, while 右往左往 focuses on individuals' aimless, panicked back-and-forth movement.
慌あわてふためく
慌てふためく highlights the inner panic and flustered reaction, while 右往左往 emphasizes the visible, chaotic physical movement itself.
混こん乱らんN3
混乱 is a general, often abstract term for confusion or disorder, whereas 右往左往 specifically pictures people scurrying about without direction.
大だい混こん乱らん
大混乱 describes large-scale chaos or turmoil in general, while 右往左往 zooms in on the frantic, directionless movement of individuals within it.

冷れい静せいN3
冷静 means calm and composed, the opposite state to the panicked, aimless rushing described by 右往左往.

A yojijukugo combining 右 (right), 往 (go), 左 (left), 往 (go), literally 'going right and left', depicting aimless, confused movement.