逆さからう

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か

ら

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

逆らう · godan verb (-u)

Meanings

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

Used for resisting or acting contrary to a person, rule, order, expectation, or natural flow. Often appears with に (～に逆らう).

〈人ひと〉に逆さからうto disobey/defy someone
彼かれは親おやに逆さからって家いえを出でた。
He defied his parents and left home.
命めい令れいに逆さからうto disobey an order
彼かれは上じょう司しの命めい令れいに逆さからった。
He disobeyed his boss's order.
流ながれに逆さからうto go against the current/flow (also figuratively, against the trend)
彼かれは時じ代だいの流ながれに逆さからって古ふるいやり方かたを続つづけた。
He kept doing things the old way, going against the trend of the times.
運うん命めいに逆さからうto defy one's fate
彼かの女じょは運うん命めいに逆さからって自じ分ぶんの道みちを選えらんだ。
She defied fate and chose her own path.

反はん抗こうN3
反抗する implies active, often emotional rebellion against authority, while 逆らう can describe milder or more general opposition, including to rules or natural flow.
抵てい抗こうN3
抵抗する focuses on resisting force or pressure (physical, political, etc.), while 逆らう more broadly means to go against a person, order, or trend.
背そむくN1
背く is a more literary word for betraying or acting against someone's wishes, rules, or morals, whereas 逆らう is the everyday term for opposing or defying.
歯は向むかうN1
歯向かう stresses standing up to or rebelling against someone stronger, while 逆らう is a more neutral verb usable for people, rules, or natural forces alike.

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楯たて突つくN1
逆らう means to go against someone's will or orders in general, whereas 楯突く carries a stronger nuance of disrespectful, confrontational back-talk.
反はんするN1
逆らう emphasizes actively resisting a person, current, or trend, while 反する is more abstract and often used with rules or principles rather than people.

従したがうN3
従う means to obey or comply, the direct opposite of 逆らう, which means to defy or go against.
則のっとる
逆らう means to defy or go against rules or orders, the opposite of 則る, which means to conform to and follow them.
ならうN2
逆らう means to go against or defy someone's wishes or a rule, the opposite of 倣う's meaning of following an example.

遡さかのぼるN2
逆らう means to defy or resist (e.g. a current, an order), whereas 遡る simply describes moving against a current or back through time without implying defiance.

逆さからうUsage85%
Standard kanji spelling.
さからうUsage15%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji is not needed.

The derivation is uncertain, but the kanji 逆 (reverse, oppose) is conventionally associated with the meaning.