1.
to dislike, to be reluctant, to shun
To feel aversion toward something and wish to avoid it. Carries a literary or formal tone compared to everyday words like 嫌う. Often used with abstract nouns like 苦労 (hardship) or 手間 (effort).
苦労を厭わない。
I don't shy away from hard work.
手間を厭わずに丁寧に作る。
Make it carefully without begrudging the effort.
彼はどんな困難も厭わず挑戦し続けた。
He kept taking on challenges without shunning any difficulty.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 苦労を厭わない (not shy away from hardship)
- 手間を厭わない (not begrudge the effort)
- 危険を厭わない (not shrink from danger)
USAGE NOTES:
Most commonly encountered in the negative form 厭わない, meaning "to not shy away from" or "to willingly accept." The affirmative form is less common in modern usage. The word has a literary, slightly elevated register — in casual speech, 嫌う or 嫌がる are more natural choices. The kanji 厭 is relatively uncommon and the word is sometimes written in hiragana as いとう.