1.
to writhe (in pain), to squirm, to wriggle in agony
To twist and move one's whole body intensely due to pain, discomfort, or strong emotion. More emphatic than 悶える.
激痛に身悶える
to writhe in severe pain
彼は苦しさに身悶えしていた。
He was writhing in agony.
恥ずかしさで身悶えするほどの失敗をした。
I made such an embarrassing mistake that I wanted to squirm.
FORMATION: Compound of 身 (body) + 悶える (to writhe). The prefix 身 emphasizes the involvement of the whole body.
TRANSITIVITY: Intransitive (自動詞).
CONJUGATION: Ichidan verb: 身悶えない, 身悶えます, 身悶えて.
USAGE: Often used figuratively for emotional distress (embarrassment, frustration) where one metaphorically wants to writhe.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 痛み/苦しみに身悶える (to writhe in pain/agony)
- 恥ずかしさに身悶える (to squirm with embarrassment)
- 身悶えするほど (to the point of writhing)
RELATED WORDS:
- 悶える (to writhe - less emphatic)
- のたうち回る (to roll around in agony)
- 身をよじる (to twist one's body)