よろめく
よろめく
verb (godan, intransitive)
to stagger; to totter
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.
酔っ払いがよろめきながら歩いていた。
The drunk person was staggering as they walked.
強風でよろめいて倒れそうになった。
I staggered in the strong wind and almost fell over.
貧血でよろめいて、壁に手をついた。
I staggered from anemia and put my hand on the wall for support.
2.
to waver emotionally; to be attracted
Figuratively, to feel emotionally swayed or attracted to someone, often implying an illicit or inappropriate romantic attraction.
CONJUGATION:
- よろめく → よろめかない (negative)
- よろめく → よろめいて (te-form)
- よろめく → よろめいた (past)
ORTHOGRAPHY:
Almost always written in hiragana. The kanji 蹌踉く exists but is rarely used.
USAGE:
The physical meaning (sense 1) is by far the most common. The figurative meaning (sense 2) is literary and somewhat dated, associated with the 1950s novel and film genre called 「よろめきドラマ」 about extramarital affairs.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ふらつく - to be unsteady, to wobble (less dramatic than よろめく)
- つまずく - to trip, to stumble (foot catches on something)
- よろよろする - to move unsteadily (repetitive form, weaker movement)