憚(はばか)る

はばかる

verb (godan)

to hesitate; to be reluctant; to refrain from

自動詞 intransitiveformal

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	憚(はばか)る	憚(はばか)らない
Present polite	憚(はばか)ります	憚(はばか)りません
Past	憚(はばか)った	憚(はばか)らなかった
Past polite	憚(はばか)りました	憚(はばか)りませんでした
て form	憚(はばか)って	憚(はばか)らなくて
ている present	憚(はばか)っている	憚(はばか)っていない
ている polite	憚(はばか)っています	憚(はばか)っていません
ている past	憚(はばか)っていた	憚(はばか)っていなかった
ている past polite	憚(はばか)っていました	憚(はばか)っていませんでした
Conditional ば	憚(はばか)れば	憚(はばか)らなければ
Conditional たら	憚(はばか)ったら	憚(はばか)らなかったら
Volitional	憚(はばか)ろう	—
Volitional polite	憚(はばか)りましょう	—
Potential	憚(はばか)れる	憚(はばか)れない
Passive	憚(はばか)られる	憚(はばか)られない
Causative	憚(はばか)らせる	憚(はばか)らせない
Imperative	憚(はばか)れ	憚(はばか)るな

1. to hesitate; to be reluctant; to refrain from

to hold back from doing something out of consideration, propriety, or fear of consequences

人目(ひとめ)を憚(はばか)る。

To be mindful of others' eyes (to act discretely).

憚(はばか)りながら申(もう)し上(あ)げます。

I humbly venture to say (with all due respect)...

世間(せけん)を憚(はばか)って公表(こうひょう)しなかった。

They didn't make it public out of concern for public opinion.

2. to dominate; to hold sway

to exercise power or influence without restraint (often in the set phrase 憚(はばか)ることなく)

憚(はばか)ることなく意見(いけん)を述(の)べた。

He stated his opinion without hesitation.

批判(ひはん)を憚(はばか)らない態度(たいど)だった。

It was an attitude that didn't shy away from criticism.

権力(けんりょく)を憚(はばか)ることなく発言(はつげん)する記者(きしゃ)だった。

She was a journalist who spoke out without being intimidated by those in power.

憚(はばか)る has nuances of hesitation out of respect or propriety.

Common expressions

人目(ひとめ)を憚(はばか)る (to be conscious of others watching)
憚(はばか)りながら (with all due respect; humbly)
憚(はばか)ることなく (without hesitation)
世間(せけん)を憚(はばか)る (to be mindful of public opinion)

憚(はばか)りさまでした (old polite expression after someone has done work)

Negative form meaning

憚(はばか)らない or 憚(はばか)ることなく often means "without restraint" or "boldly."

Formal expression

憚(はばか)りながら is a humble expression used before stating something that might be presumptuous.

Euphemistic noun

お憚(はばか)り is a euphemism for "toilet" (polite/dated).

Transitivity

Intransitive/transitive (takes を in some uses).

Related words

ためらう (to hesitate - general)
遠慮(えんりょ)する (to refrain, hold back)
躊躇(ちゅうちょ)する (to hesitate)

Register: Formal/literary. Common in formal speech and writing.

Related Words

Synonym: 躊躇(ためら)う (general hesitation)

Synonym: 遠慮(えんりょ) (polite restraint)

Synonym: 躊躇(ちゅうちょ) (formal)

Related: 遠慮(えんりょ)する (to refrain, hold back)

general

Added 2026.1.21 22:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

07500/07884_habakaru