喚く

• Reading: わめく
• Romaji: wameku
• Kanji breakdown: 喚 (wame/kan) — to shout, yell, call out
• Pronunciation: /ɰa.me.kɯ/

Meaning

To shout; to yell; to scream; to clamour. Implies loud, uncontrolled, often annoying vocalisation.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. Conveys loud, unrestrained shouting — often with a negative nuance of being disruptive, hysterical, or out of control. Stronger and more chaotic than 叫ぶ, which can be neutral. Often used to describe someone making a scene.

Examples

1. 酔っぱらいが駅前で大声でわめいていた。 A drunk guy was hollering at the top of his lungs in front of the station.
2. 子供が欲しいものを買ってもらえず、わめき出した。 The kid started screaming when he couldn't get what he wanted.
3. いくらわめいても、誰も助けに来なかった。 No matter how much she screamed, nobody came to help.

Usage Guide

Context: conflict, disturbance, frustration

Tone: negative

Origin & History

The kanji 喚 contains the mouth radical 口 and 奐 (to scatter/spread), conveying the image of sounds scattering loudly in all directions.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal