狂う

• Reading: くるう
• Romaji: kuruu
• Kanji breakdown: 狂 (kyō/kuru) — mad, crazy, deviate
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ɾɯ.ɯ/

Meaning

To go mad; to get out of order. Describes losing sanity, or something malfunctioning or deviating from normal.

A Group 1 (godan) verb conjugated with the う row. Used literally for madness but more often for mechanical malfunction (時計が狂う — the clock is off), plans going awry (予定が狂う — plans go haywire), or being obsessed with something. The te-form 狂って is common in casual speech.

Examples

1. 暑さで時計が狂ってしまった。 The clock went haywire because of the heat.
2. 急な雨で旅行の計画が狂った。 Our travel plans went off track due to the sudden rain.
3. 彼はゲームに狂っていて毎晩遅くまで遊んでいる。 He's obsessed with gaming and stays up late every night playing.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, mechanical issues, colloquial

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 狂 combines 犬 (dog) and 王 (king), suggesting a dog acting as if it were king — behaving abnormally or wildly.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal