むずかる

also: むずがる · むつかる

む

ず

か

る

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

fret; be peevish; be cross

usually written using kana alone

Describes a young child being irritable, fussy, or whiny, often because of tiredness, hunger, or discomfort. The subject is typically a baby or small child.

赤あかちゃんが眠ねむくてむずかっている。
The baby is fretting because she's sleepy.

うち

の

子こ

は

お

腹なか

が

空す

く

と

すぐ

むずかる

。

Our child gets peevish as soon as he's hungry.

Written forms

むずかるUsage97%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 憤る is rare.
むつかるUsage3%
Older or less common reading variant.
むずがる
Voiced variant; common in everyday speech.
憤る
rarely-used kanji form
- むずかる
  Rare kanji form; the word is usually written in kana.
- むずがる
- むつかる

Kanji

憤aroused, resent, be indignant

Similar words

ぐずる
ぐずる also means to fuss or whine, but often implies dawdling or being uncooperative, while むずかる focuses on fretful, irritable mood, especially in infants.
すねる
すねる means to sulk or pout, often with a sense of willful displeasure, and is used for older children and adults, whereas むずかる is more about involuntary fussiness in young children.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the adjective むず痒い (irritating, itchy) or the mimetic word むずむず (feeling irritated or restless), but the exact derivation is unclear.