思おもいとどまる

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

思いとどまる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	思おもいとどまる	思おもいとどまらない
Polite	思おもいとどまります	思おもいとどまりません
Past polite	思おもいとどまりました	思おもいとどまりませんでした
Past	思おもいとどまった	思おもいとどまらなかった
Te-form	思おもいとどまって	思おもいとどまらないで
Desire	思おもいとどまりたい	思おもいとどまりたくない
Potential	思おもいとどまれる	思おもいとどまれない
Passive	思おもいとどまられる	思おもいとどまられない
Causative	思おもいとどまらせる	思おもいとどまらせない
Causative passive	思おもいとどまらせられるalso 思おもいとどまらされる	思おもいとどまらせられないalso 思おもいとどまらされない
Volitional	思おもいとどまろう
Polite volitional	思おもいとどまりましょう
Imperative	思おもいとどまれ	思おもいとどまるな
Conditional	思おもいとどまれば	思おもいとどまらなければ
Tara conditional	思おもいとどまったら	思おもいとどまらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

abandon (an idea); give up on (a plan); refrain from doing

Used when someone decides not to go through with a plan, intention, or action after reconsideration. Often implies a deliberate change of mind or self-restraint.

彼かれは留りゅう学がくを思おもいとどまった。
He gave up on studying abroad.
危き険けんだと聞きいて、登と山ざんを思おもいとどまった。
Hearing it was dangerous, I abandoned the idea of climbing the mountain.
母ははに説せっ得とくされて、会かい社しゃを辞やめるのを思おもいとどまった。
Persuaded by my mother, I refrained from quitting my job.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉を思おもいとどまるto give up on (doing) something after reconsidering
彼かれは会かい社しゃを辞やめるのを思おもいとどまった。
He reconsidered and decided not to quit his job.
〈人ひと〉に〈事こと〉を思おもいとどまらせるto talk someone out of doing something
友ゆう人じんが彼かの女じょに無む謀ぼうな投とう資しを思おもいとどまらせた。
A friend talked her out of making a reckless investment.

Kanji

思think
止stop, halt
留detain, fasten, halt

Related words

諦あきらめるN4
諦める means to give up on something after trying or hoping, often with resignation, while 思いとどまる means to stop yourself before starting or continuing a plan, often after reconsideration.
断だん念ねんN1
断念する is a more formal, decisive abandonment of a plan or desire, while 思いとどまる is softer, implying a change of heart or heeding advice.

Opposites

決けっ行こうN1
決行する means to carry out a plan despite hesitation or difficulty, the opposite of 思いとどまる, which means to stop oneself from doing something.

Don't confuse with

思おもい直なおすN1
思い直す means to reconsider or change one's mind in any direction, while 思いとどまる specifically means to reconsider and then stop oneself from carrying out a plan.

Written forms

思おもいとどまるUsage78%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the most common written form.
思おもい止とどまるUsage15%
Alternate kanji spelling using 止; less common but still encountered.
思おもい留とどまるUsage6%
Rare kanji spelling using 留; may be seen in older or literary texts.
おもいとどまるUsage1%
思おもい止とどまるUsage<1%
search-only kanji form

Etymology

Compound of 思い (thought, intention) and とどまる (to stop, stay). The literal sense is 'one's thoughts come to a halt,' giving the meaning of abandoning an idea or plan.