揺るぐ

• Reading: ゆるぐ
• Romaji: yurugu
• Kanji breakdown: 揺 (yō/yuru) — to shake, to waver
• Pronunciation: /jɯ.ɾɯ.ɡɯ/

Meaning

To shake; to waver; to be shaken. Describes the state of something being destabilised, physically or psychologically.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. Most commonly encountered in the negative form 揺るがない or the adjectival 揺るぎない (unwavering, unshakeable), which is the standard set phrase at N1 level. The positive form 揺るぐ is rarer and tends to appear in formal or literary contexts.

Examples

1. 何度打撃を受けても、彼の信念は微塵も揺るがなかった。 No matter how many blows he took, his conviction did not waver in the slightest.
2. 長年の友情は試練によっても揺るぐことなく続いた。 Their long friendship endured without wavering, even through hardship.
3. 揺るぎない信頼関係を築くには長い年月が必要だ。 It takes many years to build an unshakable relationship of trust.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, formal speech, journalism, philosophy

Tone: serious

Origin & History

An older intransitive form related to 揺る (to sway) and 揺れる (to shake). The -ぐ ending retains an archaic flavour. Most modern usage surfaces in the frozen collocation 揺るぎない, preserving the verb in set-phrase form.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated