よろめく
よろめく
verb (godan, intransitive)
to stagger; to totter
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | よろめく | よろめかない |
| Present polite | よろめきます | よろめきません |
| Past | よろめいた | よろめかなかった |
| Past polite | よろめきました | よろめきませんでした |
| て form | よろめいて | よろめかなくて |
| ている present | よろめいている | よろめいていない |
| ている polite | よろめいています | よろめいていません |
| ている past | よろめいていた | よろめいていなかった |
| ている past polite | よろめいていました | よろめいていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | よろめけば | よろめかなければ |
| Conditional たら | よろめいたら | よろめかなかったら |
| Volitional | よろめこう | — |
| Volitional polite | よろめきましょう | — |
| Potential | よろめける | よろめけない |
| Passive | よろめかれる | よろめかれない |
| Causative | よろめかせる | よろめかせない |
| Imperative | よろめけ | よろめくな |
1.
to stagger; to totter; to stumble unsteadily
To walk or move unsteadily with swaying motions, as if about to fall. Often caused by dizziness, weakness, intoxication, or being pushed.
2.
to waver emotionally; to be attracted
Figuratively, to feel emotionally swayed or attracted to someone, often implying an illicit or inappropriate romantic attraction.
Particles: the cause of the staggering takes で (強風でよろめく). In sense 2 the thing you are swayed by takes に instead.
Writing
Almost always written in hiragana. The kanji 蹌踉く exists but is rare enough that most readers would not recognize it.
Usage
The physical meaning (sense 1) is by far the more common. The figurative meaning (sense 2) is literary and somewhat dated, tied to a 1950s genre of novels and films known as よろめきドラマ, about married people drawn into affairs. Because of that association, sense 2 still carries a hint of impropriety: it suggests giving in to a temptation one ought to resist, not simply falling in love.
Similar words
Related Words
Related:
つまずく (to stumble)
Related:
ふらつく (to be unsteady)
Compare:
よろよろする (to move unsteadily)
Compare:
よろける (to stumble)