1.
to be at a loss for an answer; to be stumped; to not know how to respond
The state of being unable to come up with an appropriate reply, either because the question is difficult, the situation is awkward, or one does not want to give a direct answer.
返答に困って黙ってしまった。
I was at a loss for words and fell silent.
急にそんなことを聞かれても返答に困る。
Even if you suddenly ask me something like that, I don't know what to say.
上司から転勤の話を持ちかけられ、返答に困った。
When my boss brought up the idea of a transfer, I didn't know how to respond.
A natural expression combining 返答 (reply, response) with に困る (to be troubled by). It describes the uncomfortable moment of not being able to produce an appropriate answer — whether due to the difficulty of the question, social pressure, or a desire to avoid giving a direct reply.
USAGE:
- Often used when someone is put on the spot or asked an awkward question
- Can describe both genuine difficulty and diplomatic evasion
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 返答に困って黙る: to fall silent, at a loss for words
- 返答に困る質問: a question one struggles to answer
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 言葉に詰まる: to be at a loss for words — focuses on the physical sensation of words not coming out
- 答えに窮する: to be hard-pressed for an answer — more formal and literary
- 口ごもる: to mumble; to hesitate in speaking — describes the visible behavior rather than the internal state