苦しめる|くるしめるkurushimeru[4]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Definitions
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto harass; to cause (emotional) pain; to afflict; to distress; to bother; to trouble; to stump; to baffle
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 苦しめる（くるしめる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 苦しめます（くるしめます） |
| Negative (nai) | 苦しめない（くるしめない） |
| polite (masen) | 苦しめません（くるしめません） |
| classical zu / nu | 苦しめず・苦しめぬ（くるしめず・くるしめぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 苦しめた（くるしめた） |
| polite (mashita) | 苦しめました（くるしめました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 苦しめなかった（くるしめなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 苦しめませんでした（くるしめませんでした） |
| Te form | 苦しめて（くるしめて） |
| Potential | 苦しめられる（くるしめられる） |
| Passive | 苦しめられる（くるしめられる） |
| Causative | 苦しめさせる（くるしめさせる） |
| Causative passive | 苦しめさせられる（くるしめさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 苦しめれば（くるしめれば） |
| tara | 苦しめたら（くるしめたら） |
| Volitional | 苦しめよう（くるしめよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 苦しめましょう（くるしめましょう） |
| Imperative | 苦しめろ（くるしめろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
胸を苦しめる
苦しむ focuses on the experience of suffering (subject marked by が, as in 胸が苦しむ), while 苦しめる focuses on causing suffering (object marked by を, as in 胸を苦しめる).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- SynonymいじめるNeutralTargets the weak — bullying, picking on someone, often in school; 「苦しめる」 is broader, since illness or a hard problem can also torment a person.
- Synonym悩ますなやますNeutralMakes someone worry or fret, often in passives like 「騒音に悩まされる」 — ongoing vexation; 「苦しめる」 stresses suffering, including physical pain.
- Synonym責め苛むせめさいなむWrittenWritten/formal prose for tormenting or torturing someone relentlessly — an extreme degree; 「苦しめる」 carries no limit on severity.
- Related嫌がらせいやがらせNeutralA noun for deliberate harassment or pestering; 「苦しめる」 is a verb covering causing suffering in general.
- Related傷つけるきずつけるNeutralWounds the body or hurts feelings and pride — the focus is the damage done; 「苦しめる」 focuses on the suffering inflicted.
- Related苛むさいなむWrittenWritten/formal; torments ceaselessly, often in passives like 「罪悪感に苛まれる」; 「苦しめる」 is the more general word.
- Related煩わすわずらわすWrittenWritten/formal: puts someone to trouble or bother, as in 「お手を煩わす」; 「苦しめる」 means actually causing pain, much heavier.
- RelatedいたぶるCasualColloquial: cruelly torments or toys with the weak, and can mean extorting money; done for malicious fun, while 「苦しめる」 need not be deliberate.
- Related煩わせるわずらわせるWrittenWritten/formal: gives someone trouble or worry; 「苦しめる」 makes a person actually suffer.
- Antonym助けるたすけるNeutralAntonym: to help or rescue someone — the opposite of driving a person into suffering.
- Antonym救うすくうNeutralAntonym: delivers someone from suffering or danger, the reverse of 「苦しめる」.
- Antonym楽にするらくにするNeutralAntonym: lets a person relax and eases their pain, the opposite of 「苦しめる」.
Use 「苦しめる」 for causing pain or anguish, physical or emotional. Bully the weak with 「苛める」; relentless torment or torture in formal prose is 「責め苛む」/「苛む」; mere trouble or bother is 「煩わす」/「煩わせる」; hurting body or feelings is 「傷つける」; ongoing worry is 「悩ます」. 「甚振る」 adds cruel toying or extortion; 「嫌がらせ」 is the noun for harassment. Antonyms: 「助ける」, 「救う」, 「楽にする」.
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
