1.
to spread; to be rampant; to run rife; to grow thick
For something undesirable (weeds, diseases, corruption, etc.) to spread widely and become prevalent.
雑草が蔓延っている。
Weeds are growing wild.
汚職が蔓延る社会
A society where corruption is rampant.
デマがSNSで蔓延るのを防ぐのは難しい。
It's difficult to prevent rumors from spreading on social media.
VERB TYPE:
自動詞 (intransitive verb)
Godan verb (五段動詞)
CONJUGATION:
- 蔓延らない (negative)
- 蔓延って (te-form)
- 蔓延った (past)
KANJI NOTES:
Often written in hiragana as はびこる. The kanji 蔓延る uses characters meaning "vine" and "extend," evoking the image of creeping plants.
NUANCE:
Almost always used for negative things: weeds, diseases, corruption, bad habits, rumors, etc. Rarely used for positive phenomena.