えぐる

also: くる

え

ぐ

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

えぐる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	えぐる	えぐらない
Polite	えぐります	えぐりません
Past polite	えぐりました	えぐりませんでした
Past	えぐった	えぐらなかった
Te-form	えぐって	えぐらないで
Desire	えぐりたい	えぐりたくない
Potential	えぐれる	えぐれない
Passive	えぐられる	えぐられない
Causative	えぐらせる	えぐらせない
Causative passive	えぐらせられるalso えぐらされる	えぐらせられないalso えぐらされない
Volitional	えぐろう
Polite volitional	えぐりましょう
Imperative	えぐれ	えぐるな
Conditional	えぐれば	えぐらなければ
Tara conditional	えぐったら	えぐらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

gouge; hollow out; scoop out

usually written using kana alone

Physical action of digging or cutting into something to remove material, often with force. Used for carving out wood, gouging eyes, or scooping out flesh.

ナイフで木きをえぐって穴あなを開あけた。
I gouged a hole in the wood with a knife.
彼かれはスプーンでメロンの種たねをえぐり出だした。
He scooped out the melon seeds with a spoon.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

cause emotional pain; cut deep; wrench

usually written using kana alone

Only with reading えぐる

Metaphorical use: words or events that deeply hurt someone emotionally, as if gouging the heart. Often used with 心, 胸, or 気持ち.

彼かれの無む神しん経けいな言こと葉ばが私わたしの心こころをえぐった。
His insensitive words cut deep into my heart.
その映えい画がの悲かなしいシーンは観かん客きゃくの胸むねをえぐった。
The sad scene in that movie wrenched the audience's hearts.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

get to the bottom of; expose the truth; dig into

usually written using kana alone

Only with reading えぐる

Figurative use: relentlessly pursuing the truth, exposing hidden facts, or asking probing questions. Often used in journalism or investigation contexts.

記き者しゃは政せい治じ家かの汚お職しょくをえぐるような質しつ問もんをした。
The reporter asked questions that dug into the politician's corruption.
このドキュメンタリーは事じ件けんの真しん相そうをえぐり出だしている。
This documentary exposes the truth of the incident.

See all 22 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を〈物もの〉でえぐるto gouge something with a tool
彼かれはナイフでリンゴの芯しんをえぐった。
He gouged out the core of the apple with a knife.
心こころをえぐるto cut someone to the heart (emotionally)
その一ひと言ことが私わたしの心こころをえぐった。
That single remark cut me to the heart.
真しん相そうをえぐるto dig into the truth of a matter
その記き事じは事じ件けんの真しん相そうをえぐっている。
The article digs deep into the truth behind the incident.
傷きず口ぐちをえぐるto reopen an emotional wound
彼かれの言こと葉ばは昔むかしの傷きず口ぐちをえぐるようだった。
His words felt like they were reopening an old wound.

Kanji

抉gouge, hollow out, bore
刳clear, serene, cold
剔cutting

Related words

掘ほるN3sense 1
掘る means to dig into the ground or excavate a hole, while 抉る is used for gouging or hollowing out material from an object, often forcefully.
傷きず付つけるN1sense 2
傷つける is the general word for hurting someone's feelings, while 抉る is a vivid, forceful image of words cutting deep into the heart.
追つい及きゅうN1sense 3
追及する means to press or pursue someone about a matter, while 抉る emphasizes forcefully digging out hidden truths or facts.
削けずるN3sense 1
削る means to shave or scrape material off a surface, whereas 抉る removes material from the inside, leaving a cavity.

Don't confuse with

くぐるN1
抉る and 潜る sound alike (both godan verbs ending in -guru) but 潜る means to pass under or through something, unlike 抉る's gouging sense.
こじる
抉る written the same way is usually read えぐる and means 'to gouge/scoop out' (e.g. a wound or a painful truth), a quite different sense from 抉る read こじる, 'to pry/wrench open.'
くじる
抉る written えぐる means to forcefully gouge or hollow something out (e.g. a wound, one's feelings), while the same kanji read くじる describes a gentler, more careful poking motion, as in picking one's ear.

Written forms

えぐるUsage54%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 抉る, 刳る, 剔る are rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
抉えぐるUsage27%
Rare kanji form; primarily associated with the physical gouging sense.
くるUsage12%
刳るUsage5%
- くる
  Archaic kanji form with reading くる, limited to the physical hollowing-out sense.
- えぐる
剔えぐるUsage2%
Very rare kanji form; may appear in older texts.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the mimetic root えぐ (eg-) suggesting a hollow or gouging action, but the exact derivation is unclear.