怯おびえる

お

び

え

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

怯える · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	怯おびえる	怯おびえない
Polite	怯おびえます	怯おびえません
Past polite	怯おびえました	怯おびえませんでした
Past	怯おびえた	怯おびえなかった
Te-form	怯おびえて	怯おびえないで
Desire	怯おびえたい	怯おびえたくない
Potential	怯おびえられるalso 怯おびえれる	怯おびえられないalso 怯おびえれない
Passive	怯おびえられる	怯おびえられない
Causative	怯おびえさせる	怯おびえさせない
Causative passive	怯おびえさせられる	怯おびえさせられない
Volitional	怯おびえよう
Polite volitional	怯おびえましょう
Imperative	怯おびえろ	怯おびえるな
Conditional	怯おびえれば	怯おびえなければ
Tara conditional	怯おびえたら	怯おびえなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be frightened; be scared; be terrified

Describes a state of fear or being scared, often due to a specific cause. Can be used for both momentary fright and ongoing anxiety.

彼かれは大おおきな犬いぬに怯おびえている。
He is frightened of the big dog.
地じ震しんの後あと、子こ供どもたちは怯おびえて泣ないていた。
After the earthquake, the children were crying in fear.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉に怯おびえるto be frightened by something
子こ供どもは大おおきな音おとに怯おびえた。
The child was frightened by the loud noise.
怯おびえた声こえで〈動どう詞し〉to do something in a frightened voice
彼かの女じょは怯おびえた声こえで助たすけを求もとめた。
She called for help in a frightened voice.
〈事こと〉に怯おびえて暮くらすto live in fear of something
彼かれらは戦せん争そうに怯おびえて暮くらしている。
They live in fear of war.
怯おびえた表ひょう情じょうを見みせるto show a frightened expression
犬いぬは雷かみなりに怯おびえた表ひょう情じょうを見みせた。
The dog showed a frightened expression at the thunder.

Kanji

怯cowardice, wince, flinch
脅threaten, coerce

Related words

怖こわがるN1
怖がる is the common, everyday word for being scared, while 怯える suggests a stronger, more visible or trembling state of fear.
恐おそれるN3
恐れる is a more formal or literary word often used for abstract fears or reverence, whereas 怯える describes a concrete, visible reaction to a threat.
すくむ
竦む describes freezing or being paralyzed with fear, while 怯える focuses on the emotional state of being scared, which may or may not include physical stiffening.

Opposites

安あん心しんN4
安心する means to feel relieved or at ease, the opposite emotional state from 怯える, which means to be frightened.

Don't confuse with

ひるむN1
怯える means to be frightened or cower in fear over time, while 怯む is a brief flinch of nerve at a specific moment of confrontation.

Word family

おびえ
fear; fright; panic; trepidation

Written forms

怯おびえるUsage52%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
おびえるUsage35%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji is not needed.
脅おびえるUsage12%
Alternate kanji spelling, less common but still encountered.

Etymology

The verb おびえる is a native Japanese word. The kanji 怯 carries the meaning of 'fear' or 'cowardice', and is used here as a semantic match. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.