揺ゆらぐ

ゆ

ら

ぐ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

揺らぐ · godan verb (-gu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	揺ゆらぐ	揺ゆらがない
Polite	揺ゆらぎます	揺ゆらぎません
Past polite	揺ゆらぎました	揺ゆらぎませんでした
Past	揺ゆらいだ	揺ゆらがなかった
Te-form	揺ゆらいで	揺ゆらがないで
Desire	揺ゆらぎたい	揺ゆらぎたくない
Potential	揺ゆらげる	揺ゆらげない
Passive	揺ゆらがれる	揺ゆらがれない
Causative	揺ゆらがせる	揺ゆらがせない
Causative passive	揺ゆらがせられるalso 揺ゆらがされる	揺ゆらがせられないalso 揺ゆらがされない
Volitional	揺ゆらごう
Polite volitional	揺ゆらぎましょう
Imperative	揺ゆらげ	揺ゆらぐな
Conditional	揺ゆらげば	揺ゆらがなければ
Tara conditional	揺ゆらいだら	揺ゆらがなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb

sway; swing; shake; tremble

Describes physical objects or structures moving unsteadily back and forth, often due to wind, impact, or instability.

地じ震しんで建たて物ものが大おおきく揺ゆらいだ。
The building swayed greatly in the earthquake.
ろうそくの火ひが風かぜで揺ゆらいでいる。
The candle flame is flickering in the wind.

godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb

waver; feel shaken; become unstable

Used for emotions, resolve, trust, or abstract foundations becoming unsteady or uncertain.

彼かれの言こと葉ばに心こころが揺ゆらいだ。
My heart wavered at his words.
その疑ぎ惑わくで彼かれへの信しん頼らいが揺ゆらいだ。
My trust in him was shaken by that suspicion.

See all 22 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が風かぜで揺ゆらぐfor something to sway in the wind
ろうそくの火ひが風かぜで揺ゆらいだ。
The candle flame flickered in the wind.
〈事こと〉への信しん頼らいが揺ゆらぐfor one's trust in something to be shaken
その事じ件けんで会かい社しゃへの信しん頼らいが揺ゆらいだ。
The incident shook people's trust in the company.
〈人ひと〉の地ち位いが揺ゆらぐfor someone's position or standing to become unstable
スキャンダルで大だい臣じんの地ち位いが揺ゆらいだ。
The scandal shook the minister's standing.

Expressions

決けっ心しんが揺ゆらぐlose one's resolve; waver in one's determination

Kanji

揺swing, shake, sway

Related words

揺ゆれるN4
揺れる is the general word for swaying or shaking, while 揺らぐ suggests a slower, more precarious wavering, especially of abstract things like trust or resolve.
ぐらつく
ぐらつく emphasizes an unsteady wobble (of a structure, chair leg, or resolve), whereas 揺らぐ is a more literary word covering both physical swaying and abstract wavering.
動どう揺ようN1sense 2
動揺する focuses on a person's mental agitation or shock, while 揺らぐ more broadly describes any resolve, belief, or foundation becoming unstable.
揺ゆるぐ
揺らぐ and 揺るぐ overlap heavily in figurative uses like wavering confidence or foundations, but 揺るぐ can feel stronger, as if something important is being shaken at its very base.

Opposites

安あん定ていN3sense 2
安定する means to become stable and settled, the opposite of 揺らぐ, which describes something becoming unsteady or wavering.

Word family

揺ゆらぎ
quiver; flutter; flicker · statistical fluctuation
遅ち延えん揺ゆらぎ
delay variation; jitter

Written forms

揺ゆらぐUsage74%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and general use.
ゆらぐUsage26%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the physical swaying nuance is emphasized.

Etymology

Derived from the mimetic root ゆら (yura), which represents swaying or shaking, combined with the verb-forming suffix ぐ. The kanji 揺 carries the meaning of 'sway' or 'shake'.