膠着(こうちゃく)状態(じょうたい)

こうちゃくじょうたい
noun
stalemate; deadlock; impasse
formal
1. stalemate; deadlock; impasse
A situation where no progress can be made because opposing sides are evenly matched or unwilling to compromise. Used for negotiations, conflicts, competitions, and political situations.
交渉(こうしょう)は膠着(こうちゃく)状態(じょうたい)に陥(おちい)った。
The negotiations fell into a deadlock.
両軍(りょうぐん)の戦(たたか)いは膠着(こうちゃく)状態(じょうたい)が続(つづ)いている。
The battle between the two armies remains in a stalemate.
膠着(こうちゃく)状態(じょうたい)を打破(だは)するために、新(あたら)しい提案(ていあん)が必要(ひつよう)だ。
A new proposal is needed to break through the deadlock.
試合(しあい)は後半(こうはん)に入(はい)っても膠着(こうちゃく)状態(じょうたい)が解(と)けず、延長戦(えんちょうせん)に突入(とつにゅう)した。
Even going into the second half, the stalemate didn't break, and the game went into overtime.

Compound of 膠着(こうちゃく) (adhesion; being stuck) and 状態(じょうたい) (state; condition). 膠(こう) originally means glue, so 膠着(こうちゃく) literally means "glued together" — vividly describing a situation where things are stuck and cannot move.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 行(い)き詰(づ)まり: deadlock; impasse — more conversational, often used for personal or business situations
  • 手詰(てづ)まり: being at a loss; dead end — implies running out of options, not necessarily two opposing sides
  • こう着(ちゃく): stalemate (abbreviated form) — sometimes used alone in news headlines

Related Words

Compare: 行(い)き詰(づ)まり (deadlock)
Compare: 行(い)き止(ど)まり (dead end)
Compare: 平行線(へいこうせん) (parallel lines)
general
Added 2026.5.8 21:09 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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