繕う|つくろうtsukurou[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. godan verb, transitive verbto mend; to patch up; to repair; to fix; to darn
   母ははにこのセーターをつくろってもらった。↗

   I had my mother mend this sweater.
2. godan verb, transitive verbto fix (hair, clothes, appearance, etc.); to adjust; to tidy up; to groom
   猿さるたちは互たがいに毛繕けづくろいし合あっている。↗

   The monkeys are grooming each other.
3. godan verb, transitive verbto keep up appearances; to cover up (e.g. a mistake); to gloss over
   世間体せけんていを繕つくろう心配しんぱいをするより他ほかにやることがある。↗

   We have other things to do than worry about keeping up appearances.
4. godan verb, transitive verbto treat (illness, injury, etc.)

• RelatedつぎはぎNeutralA noun for patching and its result — clothes full of patches, as in 「継ぎ接ぎの服」. 「繕う」 focuses on the mending itself and also covers keeping up appearances.
• Related接ぐつぐNeutralJoins two things into one whole; also used for setting bones and grafting trees, as in 「骨を接ぐ」「木を接ぐ」. 「繕う」 repairs a damaged spot.
• Related補綴ほてつWrittenWritten/formal prose for mending; in dentistry, prosthetic work, as in 「補綴歯科」. Rare in everyday use.
• Antonym壊すこわすNeutralTo break something, as in 「物を壊す」 — the direct opposite of mending it with 「繕う」.
• Antonym破るやぶるNeutralTo smash or split something hard, as in 「皿を割る」 — the opposite of repairing it with 「繕う」.

Use 「繕う」 to mend damage or to keep up appearances and smooth things over: 「服を繕う」「体裁を繕う」「その場を繕う」. For patching, say 「継ぎ接ぎ」; for joining, 「接ぐ」. The opposite of mending is 「壊す」.

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

1. 物ものの破やぶれたところや物ものの壊こわれたところを直なおす。
2. 乱みだれた身みなりなどを整ととのえる。
3. 周まわりが見みた感かんじがいいように、体裁ていさいをよくする。取り繕とりつくろう。
4. ぐあいの悪わるいことや過失かしつを隠かくして、だます。
5. 病気びょうきの手当てあてをする。