蔓延・まん延・蔓衍|まんえんman'en[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
蔓延蔓延（まんえん） is the most common written form. It is the recommended choice for beginners and is written entirely in kanji.
まん延まん延 is a less common written variant, combining kanji and kana. Beginners should normally choose 蔓延 instead.
蔓衍蔓衍 is a rarely used kanji-only written form. Learners will seldom need to write it; use 蔓延 instead.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbspread (e.g. of a disease); rampancy; infestation; proliferation; being widespread
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 蔓延する（まんえんする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 蔓延します（まんえんします） |
| Negative (nai) | 蔓延しない（まんえんしない） |
| polite (masen) | 蔓延しません（まんえんしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 蔓延せず・蔓延せぬ（まんえんせず・まんえんせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 蔓延した（まんえんした） |
| polite (mashita) | 蔓延しました（まんえんしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 蔓延しなかった（まんえんしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 蔓延しませんでした（まんえんしませんでした） |
| Te form | 蔓延して（まんえんして） |
| Potential | 蔓延できる（まんえんできる） |
| Passive | 蔓延される（まんえんされる） |
| Causative | 蔓延させる（まんえんさせる） |
| Causative passive | 蔓延させられる（まんえんさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 蔓延すれば（まんえんすれば） |
| tara | 蔓延したら（まんえんしたら） |
| Volitional | 蔓延しよう（まんえんしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 蔓延しましょう（まんえんしましょう） |
| Imperative | 蔓延しろ（まんえんしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym広まるひろまるNeutralNeutral intransitive verb for something simply spreading or becoming widespread, as in 「噂が広まる」; 「蔓延」 is mostly for diseases and vices and carries a negative tinge.
- Synonym広がるひろがるNeutralThe most versatile intransitive verb for widening or spreading out; unlike 「蔓延」, it carries no negative tinge.
- Synonym伝播でんぱWrittenWritten-style word for transmission; applies to culture, technology, and disease, and even to sound, light, and radio waves; neutral, without negative coloring.
- SynonymはびこるNeutralColloquial and derogatory: weeds growing thick, or bad people and practices running rampant; very close in sense to 「蔓延」.
- Synonym伝わるつたわるNeutralVersatile intransitive verb for news, feelings, or things being passed along; neutral, and without the sense of spreading out of control.
- Synonym行き渡るいきわたるNeutralTo reach every corner, stressing complete coverage, as in 「全員に行き渡る」; itself neither good nor bad, unlike the negative 「蔓延」.
- Related伝染でんせんNeutralInfection: a pathogen passing from one individual to another, among people, animals, or plants; figuratively, a mood or tendency catching on with others.
- Related浸透しんとうNeutralPermeation, mostly of ideas or liquids; stresses sinking deep inside rather than the extent of spread, unlike 「蔓延」.
- Related拡散かくさんNeutralDiffusion or scattering; also used for sharing and forwarding information online; neutral, with no negative tinge.
- Related普及ふきゅうNeutralPopularization or wider adoption, with a positive tinge, as in 「スマホの普及」; 「蔓延」 is negative.
- Related波及はきゅうNeutralRipple-out influence: stresses effects spreading onward in a chain reaction to other places, as in 「波及効果」.
- Related流布るふWrittenWritten-style word for circulation, mostly of claims or rumours, as in 「俗説が流布する」.
- Related染み渡るしみわたるNeutralTo soak or permeate through; mostly figurative, for feelings or sensations sinking deep into one's whole body; can be either positive or negative.
- Related瀰漫びまんWrittenWritten and rare: an atmosphere or mood pervading and blanketing a whole scene.
- Related伝搬でんぱんWrittenWritten-style word for transmission, mostly of radio and sound waves; also seen in 「病原体の伝搬」.
- Antonym収束しゅうそくNeutralAntonym: a situation settling down or being brought under control, as in 「事態の収束」 — the opposite of 「蔓延」's spreading.
- Antonym根絶こんぜつNeutralAntonym: eradicating something at the root, as in 「病気の根絶」 — the opposite of 「蔓延」's spreading.
「蔓延」 is for diseases, vices, and other bad things spreading widely, as in 「感染症の蔓延」; it can also describe vines stretching. For neutral spreading pick 「広まる」 or 「広がる」, for positive adoption 「普及」, for bad things running rampant 「はびこる」. Written-style: 「伝播」 and 「伝搬」 for transmission, 「流布」 for circulating claims, 「瀰漫」 (rare) for a pervading mood. 「伝染」 is infection, 「拡散」 diffusion or online sharing, 「波及」 ripple effects, 「浸透」 and 「染み渡る」 permeation, 「伝わる」 neutral passing-along, 「行き渡る」 full coverage. Opposites: 「収束」, 「根絶」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
