むせ返(かえ)る

むせかえる
verb (godan)
to choke; to be overwhelmed by a smell or taste
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentむせ返(かえ)るむせ返(かえ)らない
Present politeむせ返(かえ)りますむせ返(かえ)りません
Pastむせ返(かえ)ったむせ返(かえ)らなかった
Past politeむせ返(かえ)りましたむせ返(かえ)りませんでした
て formむせ返(かえ)ってむせ返(かえ)らなくて
ている presentむせ返(かえ)っているむせ返(かえ)っていない
ている politeむせ返(かえ)っていますむせ返(かえ)っていません
ている pastむせ返(かえ)っていたむせ返(かえ)っていなかった
ている past politeむせ返(かえ)っていましたむせ返(かえ)っていませんでした
Conditional ばむせ返(かえ)ればむせ返(かえ)らなければ
Conditional たらむせ返(かえ)ったらむせ返(かえ)らなかったら
Volitionalむせ返(かえ)ろう—
Volitional politeむせ返(かえ)りましょう—
Potentialむせ返(かえ)れるむせ返(かえ)れない
Passiveむせ返(かえ)られるむせ返(かえ)られない
Causativeむせ返(かえ)らせるむせ返(かえ)らせない
Imperativeむせ返(かえ)れむせ返(かえ)るな
1. to choke violently; to cough and gag
To choke so intensely that one cannot stop coughing, often due to smoke, strong smells, or food going down the wrong way.
煙(けむり)でむせ返(かえ)った。
I choked violently on the smoke.
辛(から)い料理(りょうり)を食(た)べてむせ返(かえ)った。
I choked after eating spicy food.
火事(かじ)現場(げんば)は煙(けむり)がひどく、近(ちか)づくとむせ返(かえ)るほどだった。
The fire scene was so smoky that going near it made you choke.
2. to be overwhelmed by a strong smell or atmosphere
To feel stifled or overpowered by an intense fragrance, heat, or humidity. Often used to describe being enveloped by thick, heavy air.
むせ返(かえ)るような花(はな)の香(かお)りだ。
The scent of the flowers is overwhelmingly strong.
むせ返(かえ)るような暑(あつ)さだった。
The heat was stifling.
夏(なつ)の森(もり)はむせ返(かえ)るような緑(みどり)に包(つつ)まれて、草(くさ)と土(つち)の匂(にお)いが濃(こ)く漂(ただよ)っていた。
The summer forest was enveloped in overwhelmingly lush greenery, with the smell of grass and earth hanging thick in the air.

Composed of むせる (to choke) + 返(かえ)る (to do back/intensely). The 返(かえ)る suffix intensifies the base verb, conveying that the choking or overwhelming sensation is extreme. The figurative sense (sense 2) is very common in literary descriptions.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • むせ返(かえ)るような暑(あつ)さ: stifling heat
  • むせ返(かえ)るような香(かお)り: an overpowering fragrance
  • むせ返(かえ)るような緑(みどり): overwhelmingly lush greenery
  • 煙(けむり)にむせ返(かえ)る: to choke on smoke

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • むせる: to choke — simpler, less intense version
  • 息(いき)が詰(つ)まる: to feel suffocated — focuses on the difficulty of breathing
  • むっとする: to feel stuffy — milder, for stuffy rooms or irritation

Related Words

Related: むせる (to choke (base, less intense))
general
Added 2026.4.5 12:41 · Revised 2026.4.13 17:54
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