緩ゆるむ

ゆ

る

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

緩む · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	緩ゆるむ	緩ゆるまない
Polite	緩ゆるみます	緩ゆるみません
Past polite	緩ゆるみました	緩ゆるみませんでした
Past	緩ゆるんだ	緩ゆるまなかった
Te-form	緩ゆるんで	緩ゆるまないで
Desire	緩ゆるみたい	緩ゆるみたくない
Potential	緩ゆるめる	緩ゆるめない
Passive	緩ゆるまれる	緩ゆるまれない
Causative	緩ゆるませる	緩ゆるませない
Causative passive	緩ゆるませられるalso 緩ゆるまされる	緩ゆるませられないalso 緩ゆるまされない
Volitional	緩ゆるもう
Polite volitional	緩ゆるみましょう
Imperative	緩ゆるめ	緩ゆるむな
Conditional	緩ゆるめば	緩ゆるまなければ
Tara conditional	緩ゆるんだら	緩ゆるまなかったら

Pairs with緩める

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

become loose; slacken

Physical loosening: a rope, screw, belt, or knot loses tightness.

靴くつひもが緩ゆるんでいたので、結むすび直なおした。
My shoelace had come loose, so I retied it.
ネジが緩ゆるんで、机つくえがぐらぐらする。
The screw has loosened and the desk wobbles.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

relax; become less tense; let one's guard down

Mental or physical tension eases; a person relaxes, a face softens, or vigilance drops.

試し験けんが終おわって、気き持もちが緩ゆるんだ。
After the exam, I felt relieved and my tension eased.
彼かれの表ひょう情じょうが少すこし緩ゆるんだ。
His expression relaxed a little.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

become lax; slacken (discipline, supervision)

Used for abstract things like discipline, supervision, or coldness becoming less strict or intense.

最さい近きん、会かい社しゃの規き律りつが緩ゆるんでいる。
Lately, discipline in the company has been slackening.
寒さむさが少すこし緩ゆるんだ。
The cold has eased up a bit.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

soften; partially melt

Ground becomes softer, ice partially melts, or a facial expression softens.

春はるになって、地じ面めんが緩ゆるんできた。
With spring, the ground has started to soften.
冷れい凍とう庫この氷こおりが少すこし緩ゆるんでいる。
The ice in the freezer is partially melting.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

decrease (speed)

Speed or pace slows down; often used for vehicles or work tempo.

カーブの手て前まえで車くるまのスピードが緩ゆるんだ。
The car's speed decreased before the curve.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

go down slightly (market price)

Financial context: a market price or rate eases downward a little.

今日きょうの株かぶ式しき市し場じょうは、全ぜん体たい的てきに値ねが緩ゆるんでいる。
In today's stock market, prices are generally easing downward.

See all 97 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が緩ゆるむfor a screw, knot, or fastening to become loose
ねじが緩ゆるんでいたので、ドライバーで締しめた。
The screw had come loose, so I tightened it with a screwdriver.
表ひょう情じょうが緩ゆるむfor one's expression to soften or relax
彼かれの表ひょう情じょうが緩ゆるみ、思おもわず笑え顔がおになった。
His expression softened and he broke into a smile.
警けい戒かいが緩ゆるむfor vigilance or supervision to become lax
連れん休きゅう中ちゅうは警けい備び員いんの警けい戒かいが緩ゆるみがちだ。
During long holidays, security guards tend to let their guard down.
スピードが緩ゆるむfor speed to decrease slightly
カーブに差さし掛かかると車くるまのスピードが緩ゆるんだ。
As the car approached the curve, its speed eased off.
相そう場ばが緩ゆるむfor a market price or rate to ease slightly downward
円えん高だかで輸ゆ入にゅう品ひんの相そう場ばが緩ゆるんだ。
Due to the strong yen, import prices eased slightly.
寒さむさが緩ゆるむfor cold weather to ease or become milder
三さん月がつになると寒さむさが緩ゆるんでくる。
Once March comes, the cold starts to ease up.

Expressions

気きが緩ゆるむrelax one's mind; feel at ease · become careless; let one's guard down
頬ほおが緩ゆるむgrin; smile involuntarily
たがが緩ゆるむweaken; lose one's edge; become lax
口くち元もとが緩ゆるむsmile; crack a smile
涙るい腺せんが緩ゆるむget teary; be moved to tears

Kanji

緩slacken, loosen, relax
弛slacken, relax

Transitive / intransitive

緩ゆるめるN1
緩める is the transitive verb meaning to loosen something on purpose, while 緩む is intransitive and describes something becoming loose by itself.

Related words· 7

たるむN1sense 1
弛む describes skin, rope, or muscle sagging from loss of tension, while 緩む more broadly covers anything—screws, grips, rules—losing tightness.
緩かん和わN1sense 3
緩和する is a formal verb for easing regulations or restrictions, while 緩む is the everyday intransitive word for discipline or supervision becoming lax.
減げん速そくN1sense 5
減速する specifically means to reduce speed and is used for vehicles or machinery, while 緩む can describe speed easing off more generally, including pace of work.
リラックスN3sense 2
リラックスする is a casual loanword for a person consciously relaxing, while 緩む describes tension easing naturally, as in a face or one's guard.

Show 3 more

ほどけるN1
緩む describes something becoming loose or slack in a general sense (screws, grip, rules), while 解ける specifically refers to a tied knot or string coming undone.
ほぐれるN1
緩む is a broader word for anything becoming loose or slack (screws, rules, schedules), while ほぐれる is used mainly for stiffness or tension in the body or mind easing.
和やわらぐN1
緩む is used for physical or figurative loosening (a rope, a rule, tension), while 和らぐ more often describes emotions, pain, or climate becoming milder.

Opposites· 7

閉しまるN5sense 1
締まる means to become tight or firmly fastened, the direct opposite of 緩む becoming loose.
緊きん張ちょうN4sense 2
緊張する means to become tense or nervous, the opposite of 緩む in the sense of relaxing or letting one's guard down.
凝こるN2
緩む describes muscles relaxing or loosening, the opposite of 凝る, which describes them becoming stiff and tense.

Show 4 more

引ひき締しまるN1
緩む means to loosen or become slack, the opposite of 引き締まる's sense of tightening or firming up.
こわばるN1
緩む means to loosen or relax, the opposite of 強張る which means to stiffen or tense up.
引ひきつるN1
緩む means to loosen or relax, the opposite of 引きつる's sense of a face or muscle tightening up with tension.
突つっ張ぱるN1
緩む means to loosen or relax, the opposite of 突っ張る's sense of a muscle or body part going stiff and tense.

Word family

緩ゆるみ
slack; looseness; play

Written forms

緩ゆるむUsage42%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
ゆるむUsage52%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing and when the kanji nuance is not needed.
弛ゆるむUsage6%
Alternate kanji; less common and may carry a nuance of slackening or loosening, but 緩む is preferred in modern usage.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb. The kanji 緩 carries the meaning 'loose' or 'relax', and the reading ゆるむ is of native origin. The alternate kanji 弛 also means 'slacken' but is less common.