拭う

• Reading: ぬぐう
• Romaji: nuguu
• Kanji breakdown: 拭 (shoku/nugu) — wipe, mop, dispel
• Pronunciation: /nɯ.ɡɯː/

Meaning

To wipe; to mop up; to dispel or remove something undesirable such as a stain, tears, or a negative reputation.

A Group 1 (godan) verb. 拭う covers both the physical act of wiping (tears from a face, blood from a wound) and the figurative act of clearing away something abstract — dispelling doubt, erasing a bad reputation, or removing a sense of shame. The figurative usage is common in formal and literary writing: 汚名を拭う (to clear one's name), 不安を拭う (to dispel anxiety). It is more literary than the everyday 拭く (fuku, to wipe).

Examples

1. 長年の努力でようやく汚名を拭うことができ、彼は晴れやかな表情を見せた。 After years of effort, he was finally able to clear his name, and his face showed a look of relief.
2. 彼女は静かに目頭を拭いながら、別れを惜しむ友人たちに微笑み返した。 Quietly wiping the corners of her eyes, she returned a smile to the friends who were reluctant to say goodbye.
3. この事故に対する不信感は、誠意ある対応なしには拭えないだろう。 The mistrust surrounding this incident will not be dispelled without a sincere and genuine response.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, journalism, daily life, PR/reputation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 拭 combines 扌(hand radical) and 式 (ceremony/pattern), suggesting a deliberate, patterned wiping motion. The figurative use — clearing away something intangible — appears from the Heian period onward in classical Japanese literature.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to Contemporary

Generation: All ages

Social background: General