侮る|あなどるanadoru[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto disdain; to look down on; to make light of; to hold in contempt; to scorn; to despise
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 侮る（あなどる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 侮ります（あなどります） |
| Negative (nai) | 侮らない（あなどらない） |
| polite (masen) | 侮りません（あなどりません） |
| classical zu / nu | 侮らず・侮らぬ（あなどらず・あなどらぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 侮った（あなどった） |
| polite (mashita) | 侮りました（あなどりました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 侮らなかった（あなどらなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 侮りませんでした（あなどりませんでした） |
| Te form | 侮って（あなどって） |
| Potential | 侮れる（あなどれる） |
| Passive | 侮られる（あなどられる） |
| Causative | 侮らせる（あなどらせる） |
| Causative passive | 侮らせられる・侮らされる（あなどらせられる・あなどらされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 侮れば（あなどれば） |
| tara | 侮ったら（あなどったら） |
| Volitional | 侮ろう（あなどろう） |
| polite (mashou) | 侮りましょう（あなどりましょう） |
| Imperative | 侮れ（あなどれ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym軽蔑けいべつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Contempt with an emotional edge of disgust; 「侮る」 is more about underestimating someone's strength and taking them too lightly.
- Synonym蔑むさげすむWrittenWritten/formal prose. Despising someone as an inferior, focused on character or conduct; it does not stress underestimating ability the way 「侮る」 can.
- Synonym見下すみくだすNeutralNeutral. Looking down on someone from a position of superiority — an attitude or stance; it does not stress taking an opponent too lightly as 「侮る」 does.
- Synonym侮蔑ぶべつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Scornful disdain for someone seen as inferior, an attitude of contempt; 「侮る」 is more about underrating strength and being off guard.
- Synonym蔑視べっしWrittenWritten/formal prose. Scorn or contempt, as in 「女性蔑視」; applies to individuals and groups alike, while 「侮る」 stresses underrating strength.
- Synonym軽侮けいぶWrittenWritten/formal prose. Contempt or slight; rare and rather old-fashioned, close in sense to 「侮蔑」.
- Synonym卑しむいやしむWrittenWritten/formal prose. Despising lowly people or base conduct and character; rare, and it does not stress underestimating ability as 「侮る」 can.
- Synonym卑しめるいやしめるWrittenWritten/formal prose. Looking down on people or things as worthless; it does not carry the sense of underestimating an opponent found in 「侮る」.
- Synonym蔑するなみするWrittenWritten/formal prose. Treating something as negligible, disregarding it; very rare and mainly classical in flavour.
- Related見くびるみくびるCasualColloquial. Underestimating someone — the closest match to 「侮る」, with the nuance of a misjudgement about their ability.
- Antonym敬ううやまうNeutralNeutral. Showing respect — the direct opposite of the disdain of 「侮る」, as in 「神を敬う」.
- Antonym尊重するNeutralNeutral. Respecting or valuing something — the opposite of making light of it as 「侮る」 does.
Use 「侮る」 when you underestimate someone's strength and let your guard down, as in 「相手を侮るな」 or 「侮れない」. For plain underestimating, pick 「見くびる」; for contempt mixed with disgust, 「軽蔑」. To express respect instead, use 「敬う」 or 「尊重する」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
