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はびこる Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
become overgrown ; grow thick
usually written using kana alone
Describes plants, weeds, or vegetation spreading thickly and taking over an area, often with a negative nuance of being unruly or unwanted.
ち
に
は
蔓つる
草くさ
が
はびこっ
て
いる
。
Vines are growing thick on the abandoned lot.
2
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
spread ; run rampant ; thrive ; prevail
usually written using kana alone
Used for negative things like crime, corruption, rumors, or harmful ideas spreading widely and becoming hard to control. Often implies an undesirable proliferation.
Written forms はびこる Usage 92%
Usually written in kana. The kanji form 蔓延る is also common and carries a nuance of spreading like vines.
蔓延はびこ る Usage 7%
Common kanji form, especially in literary or emphatic contexts. The characters suggest overgrowth and spreading.
蔓はびこ る Usage 1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the single character 蔓 means vine or tendril.
Kanji 蔓 vine, tendril, influence Similar words 広ひろ がる 広がる is a neutral term for spreading or expanding, while はびこる carries a strong negative connotation of something undesirable spreading uncontrollably.
蔓まん 延えん する 蔓延する is a more formal, Sino-Japanese word for spreading (especially diseases or bad influences). はびこる is more colloquial and vivid, often used for plants or figurative overgrowth.
Etymology The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the verb 延びる (のびる, 'to stretch') with an emphatic or repetitive element, but this is speculative. The kanji 蔓延る literally means 'spread and crawl,' reflecting the sense of overgrowth.
