さざなみ
さざなみ
noun
ripples; wavelets
1.
ripples; wavelets; gentle waves
Small, gentle waves on the surface of water, typically caused by a light breeze.
湖にさざなみが立った。
Ripples appeared on the lake.
風がさざなみを起こしている。
The breeze is creating ripples.
夕日に照らされたさざなみが金色に輝いていた。
The ripples, lit by the setting sun, shimmered gold.
2.
slight disturbance; ripple effect
A small disturbance or subtle influence that spreads through a group or situation, used figuratively.
社内にさざなみが広がった。
A ripple of unease spread through the company.
彼の発言が業界にさざなみを立てた。
His remarks caused ripples in the industry.
静かだった会議に、その提案がさざなみのような動揺を起こした。
The proposal caused a ripple of unease in the otherwise calm meeting.
Can be written in kanji as 漣 or 細波, but the hiragana form is most common. A poetic and evocative word frequently used in literature, song lyrics, and scenic descriptions. The figurative sense describes small but noticeable disturbances that spread through a community or situation.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- さざなみが立つ: ripples appear
- さざなみを起こす: to create ripples
- さざなみが広がる: ripples spread
- さざなみのような: ripple-like
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 波紋: ripple/ripple effect — often used for larger social or political repercussions
- 小波: small waves — more matter-of-fact than the poetic さざなみ
- 波: wave — the general term for any wave