わだかまる

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

harbor negative feelings; be rooted in one's mind

Describes negative emotions or thoughts that linger and take hold in one's heart or mind, often with a sense of being stuck or unable to let go. Commonly used with words like 疑念 (suspicion), 不満 (discontent), or 恨み (resentment).

• 彼かれの心こころにはまだ疑ぎ念ねんがわだかまっていた。

  Suspicion still lingered in his mind.

• わだかまる思おもいを打うち明あけるのは難むずかしい。

  It's hard to confess feelings that have been festering inside.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

coil; curl around; become tangled

Rare, literary, or archaic use for physical coiling or tangling, such as a snake coiling or roots becoming entangled. In modern Japanese, this physical sense is largely replaced by other verbs like 絡まる or 巻き付く.

• 古ふるい文ぶんでは、蛇へびが木きにわだかまると表ひょう現げんされることがある。

  In old texts, a snake coiling around a tree is sometimes described as わだかまる.