探さがしあぐねる

探しあぐねる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	探さがしあぐねる	探さがしあぐねない
Polite	探さがしあぐねます	探さがしあぐねません
Past polite	探さがしあぐねました	探さがしあぐねませんでした
Past	探さがしあぐねた	探さがしあぐねなかった
Te-form	探さがしあぐねて	探さがしあぐねないで
Desire	探さがしあぐねたい	探さがしあぐねたくない
Potential	探さがしあぐねられるalso 探さがしあぐねれる	探さがしあぐねられないalso 探さがしあぐねれない
Passive	探さがしあぐねられる	探さがしあぐねられない
Causative	探さがしあぐねさせる	探さがしあぐねさせない
Causative passive	探さがしあぐねさせられる	探さがしあぐねさせられない
Volitional	探さがしあぐねよう
Polite volitional	探さがしあぐねましょう
Imperative	探さがしあぐねろ	探さがしあぐねるな
Conditional	探さがしあぐねれば	探さがしあぐねなければ
Tara conditional	探さがしあぐねたら	探さがしあぐねなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb

give up searching; be unable to find after a long search

rare term

Rare term. Describes the state of having searched extensively without success and being on the verge of giving up. Often used in literary or emphatic contexts.

何なん時じ間かんも探さがしあぐねて、ついに諦あきらめた。
After searching for hours without success, I finally gave up.
彼かれは鍵かぎを探さがしあぐねて、仕し方かたなく窓まどから入はいった。
He searched for the key in vain and had no choice but to enter through the window.

Kanji

探grope, search, look for
捜search, look for, locate
倦lose interest in, tire of

Related words

探さがす
探す is the basic verb for 'to search'. 探しあぐねる adds the nuance of searching to the point of exhaustion or giving up.
諦あきらめる
諦める means 'to give up' in general, while 探しあぐねる specifically implies giving up after a long, fruitless search.

Written forms

探さがしあぐねる
Standard kanji spelling using 探す (to search).
捜さがしあぐねる
Variant using 捜す, which often implies searching for a missing person or thing.
探さがし倦あぐねる
Rare spelling using 倦ねる (to grow weary); the kanji 倦 is not a jōyō kanji.
捜さがし倦あぐねる
Rare variant combining 捜す and 倦ねる.

Etymology

Compound of 探し (continuative form of 探す 'to search') + あぐねる (suffix meaning 'to be at a loss after doing something for a long time'). The suffix あぐねる is related to 倦ねる (to grow weary).