押し寄せる|おしよせるoshiyoseru[4]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. ichidan verb, intransitive verbto advance on; to close in; to march on; to descend on (the enemy); to move towards; to surge forward (crowd, wave of nostalgia, wave, etc.); to rush for (the door); to inundate; to overwhelm; to push aside
    ダムが切きれて流域りゅういきに大水おおみずが押し寄おしよせた。↗
    The dam gave way and sent a great flush of water down the valley.
Conjugation
Dictionary form押し寄せる(おしよせる)
Polite (masu)押し寄せます(おしよせます)
Negative (nai)押し寄せない(おしよせない)
polite (masen)押し寄せません(おしよせません)
classical zu / nu押し寄せず・押し寄せぬ(おしよせず・おしよせぬ)
Past (ta)押し寄せた(おしよせた)
polite (mashita)押し寄せました(おしよせました)
Past negative (nakatta)押し寄せなかった(おしよせなかった)
polite (masen deshita)押し寄せませんでした(おしよせませんでした)
Te form押し寄せて(おしよせて)
Potential押し寄せられる(おしよせられる)
Passive押し寄せられる(おしよせられる)
Causative押し寄せさせる(おしよせさせる)
Causative passive押し寄せさせられる(おしよせさせられる)
Conditional (ba)押し寄せれば(おしよせれば)
tara押し寄せたら(おしよせたら)
Volitional押し寄せよう(おしよせよう)
polite (mashou)押し寄せましょう(おしよせましょう)
Imperative押し寄せろ(おしよせろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym詰め掛けるつめかけるNeutralCrowds flocking to a spot and packing it, as 「ファンが詰め掛ける」; 「押し寄せる」 also covers waves.
  • Related群がるむらがるNeutralTo swarm or cluster around, as 「アリが群がる」; 「押し寄せる」 stresses the surging approach.
  • Related蝟集いしゅうWrittenWritten/formal prose: things gathering densely like hedgehog bristles; 「押し寄せる」 stresses masses surging in with force.
  • Related群れ集うむれつどうWrittenWritten/formal prose: to gather in flocks or crowds; 「押し寄せる」 stresses a surging, onrushing arrival.
  • Antonym退散たいさんNeutralOpposite of 「押し寄せる」 on the gather–disperse axis: breaking up and scattering or fleeing.

Use 「押し寄せる」 for crowds, waves, or tides of the times surging in, as 「津波が押し寄せる」. For crowds packing a place pick 「詰め掛ける」, for swarming together 「群がる」; 「退散」 is the opposite — dispersing.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 大勢おおぜいが勢いきおいよく迫せまって来くる。
  2. 押おして一方いっぽうへ寄よせる。
Kanji in this word

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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