はびこる

は

び

こ

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

はびこる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	はびこる	はびこらない
Polite	はびこります	はびこりません
Past polite	はびこりました	はびこりませんでした
Past	はびこった	はびこらなかった
Te-form	はびこって	はびこらないで
Desire	はびこりたい	はびこりたくない
Potential	はびこれる	はびこれない
Passive	はびこられる	はびこられない
Causative	はびこらせる	はびこらせない
Causative passive	はびこらせられるalso はびこらされる	はびこらせられないalso はびこらされない
Volitional	はびころう
Polite volitional	はびこりましょう
Imperative	はびこれ	はびこるな
Conditional	はびこれば	はびこらなければ
Tara conditional	はびこったら	はびこらなかったら

Meanings

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.

庭にわに雑ざっ草そうがはびこってしまった。
Weeds have taken over the garden.
放ほう置ちされた空あき地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.

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.

インターネット上じょうには誤あやまった情じょう報ほうがはびこっている。
False information is rampant on the internet.
この地ち域いきでは犯はん罪ざいがはびこっている。
Crime is prevalent in this area.

See all 20 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に〈物もの〉がはびこるfor something (esp. weeds) to grow thick and take over a place
庭にわに雑ざっ草そうがはびこっている。
Weeds have taken over the garden.
〈場ば所しょ〉に〈事こと〉がはびこるfor something harmful (corruption, crime, rumors) to spread unchecked in a place
この業ぎょう界かいには不ふ正せいがはびこっている。
Corruption is rampant in this industry.
悪あく〈事こと〉がはびこるfor evil or bad practices to spread and take hold
戦せん後ごの混こん乱らんの中なかで悪あく徳とく商しょう法ほうがはびこった。
Fraudulent business practices ran rampant amid the postwar chaos.

Kanji

蔓vine, tendril, influence
延prolong, stretching

Related words

蔓まん延えん sense 2
蔓延する is a formal, Sino-Japanese verb for diseases or harmful trends spreading widely, while はびこる is a more vivid, everyday word often used for weeds or unchecked bad influences.
繁はん茂も sense 1
繁茂する is a literary, botanical term for plants growing luxuriantly, while はびこる is the everyday word with a stronger nuance of unruly overgrowth.
広ひろがるN3sense 2
広がる is a neutral verb for spreading or expanding of any kind, whereas はびこる always carries a negative sense of something unwanted taking over.
横おう行こう sense 2
横行する describes crimes or misdeeds running rampant in society, a narrower usage than はびこる, which can also describe plants or ideas spreading.

Opposites

衰おとろえるN2sense 2
衰える means to decline or weaken, the opposite of はびこる's sense of thriving and spreading out of control.

Written forms

はびこるUsage92%
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Usage7%
Common kanji form, especially in literary or emphatic contexts. The characters suggest overgrowth and spreading.
蔓はびこるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the single character 蔓 means vine or tendril.

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.