憚(はばか)る

はばかる
verb (godan)
to hesitate; to be reluctant; to refrain from
自動詞 intransitiveformal
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
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.

Sense 1 is hesitation out of respect or a sense of propriety: one holds back because of what others will think.

Common expressions

  • 人目(ひとめ)を憚(はばか)る: to avoid being seen, to be wary of others' eyes
  • 世間(せけん)を憚(はばか)る: to be mindful of public opinion
  • 憚(はばか)りながら: if I may be so bold (a humble lead-in to a presumptuous remark)
  • 憚(はばか)ることなく / 憚(はばか)らずに: openly, without restraint
  • 憎(にく)まれっ子(こ)世(よ)に憚(はばか)る: a disliked person thrives in the world (sense 2, a proverb)

Transitivity

Usage

Formal and literary. In speech, 遠慮(えんりょ)する is the everyday word for holding back.

Watch out

お憚(はばか)り is a dated euphemism for the toilet.

Similar words

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 2026.10.12 10:46
07500/07884_habakaru