食くい下さがる

く

い

さ

が

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

食い下がる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	食くい下さがる	食くい下さがらない
Polite	食くい下さがります	食くい下さがりません
Past polite	食くい下さがりました	食くい下さがりませんでした
Past	食くい下さがった	食くい下さがらなかった
Te-form	食くい下さがって	食くい下さがらないで
Desire	食くい下さがりたい	食くい下さがりたくない
Potential	食くい下さがれる	食くい下さがれない
Passive	食くい下さがられる	食くい下さがられない
Causative	食くい下さがらせる	食くい下さがらせない
Causative passive	食くい下さがらせられるalso 食くい下さがらされる	食くい下さがらせられないalso 食くい下さがらされない
Volitional	食くい下さがろう
Polite volitional	食くい下さがりましょう
Imperative	食くい下さがれ	食くい下さがるな
Conditional	食くい下さがれば	食くい下さがらなければ
Tara conditional	食くい下さがったら	食くい下さがらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

cling to; hang on to

Physical sense: gripping something and not letting go, often with the nuance of hanging or dangling from it.

子こ供どもが父ちち親おやの腕うでに食くい下さがって離はなれなかった。
The child clung to his father's arm and wouldn't let go.
猫ねこがカーテンに食くい下さがっている。
The cat is hanging on to the curtain.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

persist; hound; refuse to back down

Figurative sense: tenaciously pursuing someone or an argument, not giving up. Often used in debates, negotiations, or confrontations.

記き者しゃは大だい臣じんに食くい下さがって質しつ問もんを続つづけた。
The reporter persisted with questions, not letting the minister off the hook.
彼かれは最さい後ごまで自じ分ぶんの意い見けんに食くい下さがった。
He stuck to his opinion to the very end.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

sumo technique: grab the mawashi and lower one's hips

sumo

Sumo-specific technique: grabbing the front of the opponent's mawashi, pressing one's head against their chest, and lowering one's hips to gain leverage.

横よこ綱づなは食くい下さがって相あい手ての動うごきを止とめた。
The yokozuna grabbed the mawashi and lowered his hips to stop his opponent's movement.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に食くい下さがるto press/persist with someone (e.g. in questioning or argument)
記き者しゃは首しゅ相しょうに食くい下さがって質しつ問もんを続つづけた。
The reporter pressed the prime minister with questions, refusing to back down.
まわしに食くい下さがるto grab the mawashi and lower one's hips (sumo technique)
力りき士しは相あい手てのまわしに食くい下さがって攻せめた。
The sumo wrestler gripped his opponent's mawashi and lowered his hips to attack.
最さい後ごまで食くい下さがるto hold out to the very end
彼かれは不ふ利りな状じょう況きょうでも最さい後ごまで食くい下さがった。
Even in a disadvantageous situation, he held out to the very end.
〈事こと〉に食くい下さがるto keep pressing on an issue or point
彼かの女じょはその点てんに食くい下さがって議ぎ論ろんを続つづけた。
She kept pressing that point, continuing the argument.

Kanji

食eat, food
下below, down, descend
喰eat, drink, receive (a blow)

Related words

食くいつく sense 1
食いつく suggests a sudden, aggressive bite or grab, while 食い下がる emphasizes holding on tenaciously once attached.
粘ねばるN1sense 2
粘る means to persevere or stick it out in general, while 食い下がる specifically conveys refusing to back down in a confrontation or debate.
しがみつく sense 1
しがみつく describes clinging tightly with one's whole body or arms, whereas 食い下がる often implies dangling from a grip or arguing persistently without giving in.

Opposites

諦あきらめるN4sense 2
諦める means to give up, the direct opposite of 食い下がる's sense of refusing to back down.

Built from

食くい+下さがる

Written forms

食くい下さがるUsage68%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
食くいさがるUsage15%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed kanji-kana form.
くいさがるUsage9%
喰くい下さがるUsage5%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant using 喰.
喰くいさがるUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant using 喰 and kana.
食くい下さがるUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant with 下る.

Etymology

Compound of 食い (continuative form of 食う 'to eat') + 下がる 'to hang down'. The figurative sense of tenacity likely derives from the image of biting and hanging on.