ざわめき
ざわめき
noun
commotion; murmur; bustle
1.
commotion, murmur, bustle
The combined sound of many people talking, moving, or reacting at once. A low, unsettled buzz of activity or chatter.
会場にざわめきが広がった。
A murmur spread through the venue.
教室のざわめきが静まった。
The commotion in the classroom died down.
発表の瞬間、観客のざわめきが一斉に歓声に変わった。
The moment of the announcement, the murmur of the audience turned into cheers all at once.
ざわめき is the noun form of ざわめく (to murmur, to buzz with activity). It describes the collective sound and atmosphere when many people are talking, reacting, or moving about.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ざわめきが広がる: a murmur spreads
- ざわめきが静まる: the commotion dies down
- ざわめきが起きる: a stir arises
- 街のざわめき: the bustle of the city
- 教室のざわめき: classroom chatter
RELATED ONOMATOPOEIA:
Derived from ざわざわ, which evokes the sound and feel of restless commotion or unease. ざわめき is the more literary noun form.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ざわめき: murmur, buzz (of people, literary)
- がやがや: noisy chatter (more casual, louder)
- 騒ぎ: commotion, disturbance (stronger, implies disruption)
- 喧騒: clamor, din (formal/literary)
REGISTER:
Slightly literary. Common in narrative prose, news, and descriptive writing.