渦中(かちゅう)

かちゅう
noun
in the midst of, in the thick of
formalwritten
1. in the midst of, in the thick of, in the vortex of
Being at the center of a turbulent situation, controversy, or crisis. Literally means 'inside a whirlpool' and is used figuratively for being caught up in the middle of chaotic or problematic events.
事件(じけん)の渦中(かちゅう)にいる。
To be in the thick of an incident.
彼(かれ)はスキャンダルの渦中(かちゅう)の人物(じんぶつ)だ。
He is the person at the center of the scandal.
政治(せいじ)改革(かいかく)の渦中(かちゅう)にあって、彼女(かのじょ)は冷静(れいせい)さを保(たも)った。
In the midst of political reform, she maintained her composure.

Usage

Literally "inside a whirlpool" (渦(うず) = whirlpool, 中(ちゅう) = inside). Used exclusively in a figurative sense to describe being at the center of a controversy, crisis, or turbulent situation. It does not refer to a literal whirlpool.

Almost always appears in the patterns 渦中(かちゅう)にいる, 渦中(かちゅう)にある, or 渦中(かちゅう)の + noun. Commonly seen in news reporting and formal writing.

Common patterns

Related Words

Compare: 真(ま)っ只中(ただなか) (right in the middle of)
general
Added 2026.2.24 19:32 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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