浮き足立つ
うきあしだつ
verb (godan)
to get restless; to be on edge; to panic and want to flee
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 浮き足立つ | 浮き足立たない |
| Present polite | 浮き足立ちます | 浮き足立ちません |
| Past | 浮き足立った | 浮き足立たなかった |
| Past polite | 浮き足立ちました | 浮き足立ちませんでした |
| て form | 浮き足立って | 浮き足立たなくて |
| ている present | 浮き足立っている | 浮き足立っていない |
| ている polite | 浮き足立っています | 浮き足立っていません |
| ている past | 浮き足立っていた | 浮き足立っていなかった |
| ている past polite | 浮き足立っていました | 浮き足立っていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 浮き足立てば | 浮き足立たなければ |
| Conditional たら | 浮き足立ったら | 浮き足立たなかったら |
| Volitional | 浮き足立とう | — |
| Volitional polite | 浮き足立ちましょう | — |
| Potential | 浮き足立てる | 浮き足立てない |
| Passive | 浮き足立たれる | 浮き足立たれない |
| Causative | 浮き足立たせる | 浮き足立たせない |
| Imperative | 浮き足立て | 浮き足立つな |
1.
to get restless; to be on edge; to panic and want to flee
To become anxious and unsettled, often with an urge to run away or escape from a situation. Describes a state of nervous agitation where one cannot stay calm.
敵の攻撃に浮き足立った。
They panicked under the enemy's attack.
噂を聞いて社内が浮き足立っている。
The office is on edge after hearing the rumor.
リストラの話が出て、社員たちが浮き足立っている。
Talk of layoffs has the employees in a state of panic.
Literally describes feet (足) that are lifted (浮く), as if ready to flee. The image is of someone on their toes, unable to stand firmly because of anxiety or fear.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 浮き足立った様子: a restless/panicked demeanor
- 浮き足立っている: to be in a state of panic
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 慌てる: to panic, to be flustered — more general, can apply to individual situations
- 動揺する: to be shaken, to be unsettled — focuses on emotional disturbance
- 狼狽する: to be thrown into confusion — stronger, implies complete loss of composure
NOTE:
In recent years, some speakers use 浮き足立つ positively to mean "excited, eager" (e.g., excited before a trip), but this is considered a non-standard usage by language authorities. The traditional meaning is negative — anxious and wanting to flee.