こむら返(がえ)り

こむらがえり
noun
calf cramp; leg cramp
health
1. calf cramp; leg cramp
A sudden, painful involuntary contraction of the calf muscle. From こむら (calf) + 返(がえ)り (turning over). Often strikes during sleep, swimming, or exercise, especially when one is tired or dehydrated.
夜中(よなか)にこむら返(がえ)りが起(お)きた。
I got a calf cramp in the middle of the night.
運動(うんどう)中(ちゅう)にこむら返(がえ)りを起(お)こした。
I got a calf cramp during exercise.
水分(すいぶん)が足(た)りないと、こむら返(がえ)りになりやすいそうだ。
Apparently, when you're short on fluids, you're prone to calf cramps.

An everyday word for a painful calf-muscle cramp. Commonly triggered by fatigue, cold, dehydration, or mineral imbalance, and frequent during sleep or swimming.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 痙攣(けいれん): convulsion, spasm — the broader medical term for involuntary muscle contraction
  • つる: to cramp up (verb) — the colloquial verb, as in 足(あし)がつる (one's leg cramps)

Related Words

Compare: 痙攣(けいれん) (convulsion, spasm)
general
Added 2026.6.28 3:18 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
29500/29527_komuragaeri