立たち尽つくす

た

ち

つ

く

す

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-su), intransitive verb

stand still; remain standing; stand motionless

Describes standing in one spot without moving, often due to shock, deep thought, or waiting. Implies a prolonged, fixed posture.

彼かれはその知しらせを聞きいて、しばらくその場ばに立たち尽つくした。
Hearing the news, he stood there motionless for a while.
駅えきの改かい札さつで立

た

ち

尽つ

くし

て

いる

人ひと

を

見み

かけ

た

。

I saw someone standing still at the station ticket gate.

Written forms

立たち尽つくすUsage49%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news word.
立たちつくすUsage46%
Kana-mixed spelling; less common but still used.
立たち尽つくすUsage3%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant; not recommended for production.
たちつくすUsage2%

Kanji

立stand up, rise, set up
尽exhaust, use up, run out of

Similar words

立たつ
立つ is the general verb for 'to stand', while 立ち尽くす emphasizes standing still for a long time without moving.
じっと立たつ
じっと立つ also means 'to stand still', but 立ち尽くす carries a stronger nuance of being rooted to the spot, often due to emotion or shock.

Etymology

Compound of 立ち (continuative form of 立つ 'to stand') + 尽くす ('to exhaust, do completely'). Literally 'to stand to the end', implying standing until one can stand no more, hence 'to stand motionless for a long time'.