力む

• Reading: りきむ
• Romaji: rikimu
• Kanji breakdown: 力 (ryoku/chikara) — power, strength, force
• Pronunciation: /ɾi.ki.mɯ/

Meaning

To strain; to exert oneself forcefully; to put on airs. Covers both physical over-exertion and the social behaviour of acting more impressive or important than one is.

A Group 1 (godan) verb. The physical sense describes tensing muscles or straining the body, as in weightlifting or childbirth. The social sense — appearing affected, pompous, or trying too hard — is equally common. In both cases, 力む implies an excess of effort that often backfires or appears unnatural.

Examples

1. 力みすぎると逆にパフォーマンスが落ちることを経験から学んだ。 I learned from experience that straining too hard actually hurts your performance.
2. 彼はいつも無駄に力んで話すので、聞いているこちらが疲れる。 He always talks in an unnecessarily forceful way, which is exhausting to listen to.
3. 肩の力を抜いて、力まずに自然体で臨んだほうが結果は出やすい。 You're more likely to get results if you relax your shoulders and approach things naturally instead of forcing it.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, performance, social behaviour, coaching, self-improvement

Tone: cautionary

Origin & History

Derived from 力 (chikara/ryoku — power, strength), with the verb-forming suffix む. The む ending implies entering into a state or pressing into an action, so 力む literally means to put oneself into a state of force. The social nuance emerged in the Edo period.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo

Generation: All ages

Social background: General