揺るがす

• 読み: ゆるがす
• ローマ字: yurugasu
• 漢字の分解: 揺 (yō/yuru) — to shake, to rock, to sway
• 発音: /jɯ.ɾɯ.ɡa.sɯ/

意味

To shake; to undermine; to rock the foundations of something. Typically used for abstract structures such as authority, trust, or society.

A Group 1 (godan) causative-like verb derived from 揺るぐ (to waver, to be shaken). While 揺るぐ describes the state of being shaken, 揺るがす is transitive — someone or something actively destabilises a structure. Commonly appears in formal writing and journalism.

例文

1. そのスキャンダルは政府の基盤を揺るがす大事件となった。
2. 彼の確信を揺るがすような事実が次々と明らかになった。
3. 大地震が街全体を揺るがし、多くの建物が倒壊した。

使い方ガイド

場面: politics, journalism, disasters, social criticism, history

トーン: serious

起源と歴史

Causative extension of 揺るぐ (to waver), with the kanji 揺 (to shake) at its core. The -がす suffix is an older causative form, parallel to 動かす from 動く. It appears in classical literature and remains common in formal registers.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Educated