めり込こむ

め

り

こ

む

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

sink into; cave in; get stuck in

Describes something pressing into a surface and becoming embedded, or a surface collapsing inward. Often used for objects sinking into soft ground, mud, or snow, or for dents in metal.

車くるまがぬかるみにめり込こんで動うごけなくなった。
The car got stuck in the mud and couldn't move.
ボールが壁かべにめり

込こ

ん

だ

。

The ball lodged itself in the wall.

Written forms

めり込こむUsage56%
Standard spelling using the common kanji 込む for entering/sticking.
めりこむUsage43%
減めり込こむUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 減り is not standard for this meaning.

Kanji

込crowded, mixture, in bulk
減dwindle, decrease, reduce

Similar words

はまる
はまる means to fit tightly into a space or get trapped, often in a positive or neutral sense (e.g., a puzzle piece fitting). めり込む implies forceful penetration or sinking into a surface, often with damage or difficulty.
沈しずむ
沈む is general 'to sink' (in water, depression, etc.). めり込む specifically means sinking into a solid or semi-solid surface and becoming stuck or embedded.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The first element めり may be related to the mimetic word めりめり (sound of something cracking or sinking). Combined with 込む (to go into), it expresses forceful embedding.