問い詰める

• Reading: といつめる
• Romaji: toitsumeru
• Kanji breakdown: 問 (mon/to) — question, inquire; 詰 (kitsu/tsu) — cram, corner, press
• Pronunciation: /to.i.tsɯ.me.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To press with questions; to cross-examine; to corner someone through relentless questioning until they have no room to evade.

A Group 2 (ichidan) verb meaning to relentlessly interrogate or challenge someone. The 詰める component conveys leaving no room to escape — pushing someone into a corner. Unlike 尋ねる (to ask) or 質問する (to question), 問い詰める implies persistence and pressure, often used in investigative, confrontational, or dramatic contexts.

Examples

1. 記者は大臣を問い詰め、発言の矛盾を白日の下にさらした。 The journalist pressed the minister with questions, bringing the contradictions in his statements into the open.
2. 彼女に問い詰められ、ついに隠していたことを白状した。 Cornered by her relentless questioning, I finally confessed what I had been hiding.
3. これ以上問い詰めても本当のことは言わないだろうと思い、諦めた。 I gave up, thinking that pressing any further would not get the truth out of them.

Usage Guide

Context: journalism, investigations, dramatic confrontations, interpersonal conflict

Tone: aggressive

Origin & History

Compound verb from 問い (toi — questioning) and 詰める (tsumeru — to cram, to leave no room, to corner). The literal image is of filling up all space with questions, leaving the other person no escape.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal