食い込む

• Reading: くいこむ
• Romaji: kuikomu
• Kanji breakdown: 食 (shoku/ku) — eat, bite; 込 (kon) — go into, be packed in
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.i.ko.mɯ/

Meaning

To bite into; to cut into; to dig into; to make inroads; to eat into a budget, market share, or personal time.

A Group 1 (godan) verb combining 食う (to bite or eat) with 込む (to go into, to be packed in). Literal uses include a rope or wire cutting into flesh, or teeth biting into food deeply. Figuratively, it describes encroachment on someone's territory, budget, or time, or making inroads into a competitor's market. The passive construction ～に食い込まれる describes having something eat into one's resources or space from the outside.

Examples

1. 細いワイヤーが長時間の使用で手首に食い込み、強い痛みを感じた。 After prolonged use, the thin wire dug into my wrist, causing sharp pain.
2. 新興の格安ブランドが大手の市場シェアに食い込んできている。 A new budget brand is eating into the market share of major players.
3. 連日の残業で、プライベートの時間が仕事にどんどん食い込まれている。 With consecutive days of overtime, work is eating further and further into my personal time.

Usage Guide

Context: business, daily life, work-life balance, competition

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 食う (to eat, to bite) and 込む (to go in, to be packed in). The combined image is of something biting or pressing its way into another thing and remaining embedded there.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: All classes