よどむ

よ

ど

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

stagnate; become still; stop flowing

usually written using kana alone

Used of water, air, or another flow that stops moving and becomes stagnant or heavy.

この池いけの水みずは夏なつになるとよどむ。
The water in this pond stagnates in summer.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

settle at the bottom; be deposited; be sedimented

usually written using kana alone

Used when mud, dregs, powder, or other matter settles and remains at the bottom of a liquid; 澱む is a natural kanji choice for this nuance.

川かわ底ぞこに泥どろがよどんでいる。
Mud has settled on the riverbed.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

become dull; become sluggish; lose freshness

usually written using kana alone

Extended use for something that looks lifeless, clouded, stale, or lacking in energy, such as eyes, an atmosphere, or movement.

疲つかれで彼かれの目めはよどんでいた。
His eyes were dull with fatigue.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

falter; hesitate; stammer

usually written using kana alone

Often used with speech or movement when the smooth flow breaks down: words falter, a reply is delayed, or someone stumbles in delivery.

緊きん張ちょうして、彼かの女じょの言こと葉ばがよどんだ。
She got nervous, and her words faltered.

Written forms

よどむUsage43%
All senses are usually written in kana; this is the safest everyday spelling.
淀よどむUsage30%
Kanji spelling associated especially with stagnant water or a flow that has stopped; attested, though the word is usually written in kana.
澱よどむUsage27%
Kanji spelling associated especially with murkiness, dregs, or sediment; attested and high-priority, but kana is still usually preferred.

Kanji

淀pool, eddy
澱sediment, grounds, dregs

Similar words

滞とどこおる
Means that progress, payment, traffic, or a process is delayed or backed up; よどむ is more image-based and can describe stagnant water, air, eyes, or speech.
濁にごる
Means to become cloudy, muddy, or impure in appearance or sound; よどむ emphasizes stagnation, settling, dullness, or faltering flow.
沈ちん殿でんする
A more technical or explicit verb for substances precipitating or settling as sediment; よどむ is broader and less technical.

Etymology

A native Japanese verb of uncertain historical derivation. The kanji spellings are conventional: 淀 suggests stagnant water, while 澱 suggests dregs or sediment.