挑いどむ

い

ど

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

挑む · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	挑いどむ	挑いどまない
Polite	挑いどみます	挑いどみません
Past polite	挑いどみました	挑いどみませんでした
Past	挑いどんだ	挑いどまなかった
Te-form	挑いどんで	挑いどまないで
Desire	挑いどみたい	挑いどみたくない
Potential	挑いどめる	挑いどめない
Passive	挑いどまれる	挑いどまれない
Causative	挑いどませる	挑いどませない
Causative passive	挑いどませられるalso 挑いどまされる	挑いどませられないalso 挑いどまされない
Volitional	挑いどもう
Polite volitional	挑いどみましょう
Imperative	挑いどめ	挑いどむな
Conditional	挑いどめば	挑いどまなければ
Tara conditional	挑いどんだら	挑いどまなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

challenge; throw down the gauntlet; contend for

Used for directly challenging someone to a fight, game, or contest. Often implies a confrontational or competitive stance.

彼かれはチャンピオンに試し合あいを挑いどんだ。
He challenged the champion to a match.
新しん入にゅう生せいが先せん輩ぱいに勝しょう負ぶを挑いどんだ。
The new student challenged the senior to a contest.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

tackle; attempt; go after

Used for taking on difficult tasks, problems, records, or goals. The focus is on the effort and ambition, not necessarily a direct confrontation.

彼かれは世せ界かい記き録ろくに挑いどんだ。
He went after the world record.
新あたらしいプロジェクトに挑いどむのは楽たのしい。
Tackling a new project is fun.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

make sexual advances; pressure for sex

Euphemistic or indirect expression for pressuring someone into a sexual relationship. Often used in contexts of harassment or unwanted advances.

上じょう司しが部ぶ下かに挑いどむようなことを言いったらしい。
It seems the boss said something like making advances to a subordinate.

See all 79 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈相あい手て〉に挑いどむto challenge an opponent
王おう者じゃに挑いどむ若わかい選せん手しゅが現あらわれた。
A young athlete appeared who challenged the champion.
〈相あい手て〉に勝しょう負ぶを挑いどむto challenge someone to a match or contest
弟おとうとが兄あにに将しょう棋ぎの勝しょう負ぶを挑いどんだ。
The younger brother challenged his older brother to a game of shogi.
〈事こと〉に挑いどむto take on a difficult task or goal
彼かれは世せ界かい記き録ろくに挑いどんだ。
He took on the challenge of breaking the world record.
〈人ひと〉に挑いどむto make unwanted sexual advances toward someone
上じょう司しが部ぶ下かの女じょ性せいに挑いどんだ。
The boss made unwanted advances toward his female subordinate.

Expressions

戦たたかいを挑いどむchallenge to a fight; pick a fight

Kanji

挑challenge, contend for, make love to

Related words

挑ちょう戦せんN2
挑戦する is the common noun/suru-verb meaning 'to challenge' or 'attempt', while 挑む is a more literary verb that carries a sharper, more confrontational or ambitious edge.
立たち向むかうN1sense 1
立ち向かう emphasizes standing up to and facing an opponent or difficulty, whereas 挑む implies actively initiating the challenge oneself.
試こころみるN2sense 2
試みる simply means 'to try' something, while 挑む adds a competitive, ambitious drive toward a difficult goal.
取とり組くむN2
挑む implies boldly challenging or defying an opponent or difficulty, while 取り組む suggests steady, sustained engagement with a task.
仕し掛かけるN1
挑む emphasizes taking on a challenge or difficult opponent head-on, while 仕掛ける focuses on the act of initiating the confrontation itself, often one-sidedly.

Opposites

逃にげるN4sense 1
逃げる means to flee or avoid a confrontation, the opposite of 挑む's act of facing a challenge head-on.
諦あきらめるN4sense 2
諦める means to give up on a difficult goal, contrasting with 挑む's sense of actively tackling it.

Don't confuse with

挑ちょう発はつ sense 1
挑発する means to provoke or incite someone's reaction, whereas 挑む means to directly challenge someone to a contest or task.

Written forms

挑いどむUsage94%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
いどむUsage6%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, especially when the kanji is not needed.

Etymology

The kanji 挑 means 'challenge' or 'provoke'. The verb 挑む (いどむ) is a native Japanese word with uncertain etymology, possibly related to 出る (いでる) or 射る (いる), but the exact derivation is unclear.