浮き彫り

• Reading: うきぼり
• Romaji: ukibori
• Kanji breakdown: 浮 (u) — float, raise | 彫 (hori) — carve, engrave
• Pronunciation: /ɯ.ki.bo.ɾi/

Meaning

Relief sculpture; bringing something to light; throwing something into sharp relief.

Literally refers to raised carving or bas-relief in art. Figuratively — and most commonly in N1-level texts — it means making a hidden problem or characteristic strikingly visible. The set expression 〜を浮き彫りにする (to throw ~ into relief / to highlight ~) is very frequent in journalism and social analysis.

Examples

1. 今回の事件は、社会に潜む差別意識を浮き彫りにした。 This incident threw into sharp relief the discriminatory attitudes lurking within society.
2. 調査結果は、教育格差の深刻さを改めて浮き彫りにしている。 The survey results once again highlight the severity of the educational divide.
3. 神殿の柱には精巧な浮き彫りが施されており、当時の技術水準を物語っていた。 The pillars of the temple were adorned with intricate relief carvings, bearing witness to the technical standards of the era.

Usage Guide

Context: journalism, social analysis, art history, academic writing

Tone: analytical

Origin & History

Compound of 浮き (uki, floating, raised) and 彫り (hori, carving, engraving). From the craft of carving raised figures from a flat surface, the word extended to figurative uses of making something stand out clearly.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated