絞る

• Reading: しぼる
• Romaji: shiboru
• Kanji breakdown: 絞 (kō/shiboru) — to wring, to squeeze, to press by twisting
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.bo.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To wring; to squeeze; to twist to extract liquid; to narrow down; to focus.

A Group 1 (godan) versatile verb with both physical and metaphorical applications. Physically, it means wringing liquid from a cloth or squeezing juice from fruit. Metaphorically, it means narrowing a topic or range, reducing audio volume, or straining to produce something under pressure. Common fixed phrases include 声を絞る (to strain one's voice) and 知恵を絞る (to rack one's brains).

Examples

1. タオルを固く絞って水気を切った。 He wrung out the towel firmly to remove the moisture.
2. 知恵を絞ってもよい解決策が浮かばなかった。 Even after racking his brains, no good solution came to mind.
3. 音楽のボリュームを絞るように隣の部屋から声がした。 A voice came from the next room asking him to turn down the music.

Usage Guide

Context: household, cooking, creativity, audio, problem-solving

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the kanji 絞 (kō), which depicts a silk thread being twisted. The verb has been in use since classical Japanese to describe twisting or wringing motions. Its metaphorical extensions into focus, volume, and mental effort developed during the modern period.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General