ねだり

ね

だ

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the act of persistently asking for something, often in a pleading or annoying manner. Commonly used in the phrase ねだり上手 (skillful at coaxing).

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉のねだりに負まけるto give in to someone's pestering
母ははは子こ供どものねだりに負まけてお菓か子しを買かってやった。
The mother gave in to her child's pestering and bought some sweets.

Kanji

強strong
請solicit, invite, ask

Related words

催さい促そくN2
催促 is urging someone to do something they already owe or promised, while ねだり is coaxing someone to give you something you want.
無む心しんN1
無心 is an old-fashioned, wheedling request specifically for money, whereas ねだり covers coaxing for any object or favor.

Don't confuse with

強きょう請せい
強請 (きょうせい) is written with the same kanji minus the okurigana but means forceful extortion, much stronger than the gentle pestering of ねだり.

Word family

おねだり
begging; pestering; pleading; coaxing

Written forms

ねだりUsage83%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 強請り is rare and may be confused with きょうせい.
強請ねだりUsage12%
Rare kanji spelling; the reading ねだり is not obvious from the characters.
ネダリUsage4%
強請ねだり
irregular okurigana
Irregular okurigana usage; even rarer than 強請り.

Etymology

Derived from the verb ねだる (to beg, to pester). The kanji 強請 are ateji applied to the native Japanese word.