1.
to become complicated; to get tangled; to take a turn for the worse
For a situation, relationship, or illness to become more complicated or difficult to resolve than before.
話が拗れて、解決が難しくなった。
The matter got complicated and became difficult to resolve.
風邪が拗れて肺炎になった。
My cold got worse and turned into pneumonia.
人間関係が拗れると修復が大変だ。
When human relationships get tangled, it's hard to repair them.
TRANSITIVITY:
Intransitive verb (自動詞). The transitive form is 拗らせる (to complicate something).
USAGE:
拗れる is used for situations that were manageable but have deteriorated into something more problematic. Common contexts include:
- 話が拗れる - a discussion/matter gets complicated
- 風邪が拗れる - a cold gets worse/complicated
- 関係が拗れる - a relationship becomes strained
KANJI NOTE:
The kanji 拗 is relatively uncommon; this word is often written in hiragana as こじれる.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 揉める - to have trouble/conflict (more about dispute than complication)
- 悪化する - to worsen (more general deterioration)
REGISTER:
Neutral. Used in everyday conversation.