試験頻出語 II

個別こべつ対応たいおうではなく、包括ほうかつ的てきな支援しえん策さくが必要ひつようだ。

What is needed is comprehensive support, not case-by-case handling.

Usage 包括的な is the usual form: 包括的な支援, 包括的合意. Its opposites are 個別的 and 部分的. In law, 包括承継 is universal succession.

Remember it 包 (wrap) + 括 (bundle) → wrapped and bundled together with nothing left out.

制度せいどの形骸けいがい化かを危惧きぐする声こえが上あがっている。

Voices are being raised in concern that the system will become an empty shell.

Usage 〜を危惧する, and 絶滅危惧種 for an endangered species — the compound most learners meet first. More formal and more serious than 心配.

Remember it 危 (danger) + 惧 (fear) → fearing the danger in it.

感染かんせんの拡大かくだいがようやく収束しゅうそくに向むかっている。

The spread of infection is finally heading toward containment.

Usage 収束に向かう. Distinguish the homophone 終息, which means ending completely — during the pandemic the difference between the two was debated in the press. In mathematics, 収束 is convergence.

Remember it 収 (gather in) + 束 (bind into a bundle) → the scattered brought back into one bundle.

両者りょうしゃの意見いけんが完全かんぜんに合致がっちした。

The views of the two sides agreed completely.

Usage 〜と合致する. Objects: 意見, 条件, 事実. Formal; 一致 is the everyday word, while 合致 stresses fitting exactly.

Remember it 合 (fit together) + 致 (bring to) → brought together and fitting exactly.

資料しりょうの信頼しんらい性せいを十分じゅうぶんに吟味ぎんみしてから引用いんようすべきだ。

You should examine the reliability of a source thoroughly before citing it.

Usage 〜を吟味する. Also used of ingredients — 吟味した食材, carefully selected produce — which is why it appears on restaurant menus.

Remember it 吟 (recite, mull over) + 味 (taste) → tasting it over and over before you accept it.

現場げんばから不満ふまんが噴出ふんしゅつしている。

Discontent is erupting from the front line.

Usage Literally of lava or steam: 溶岩が噴出する. Figuratively — the exam sense — of complaints or criticism bursting out all at once: 不満が噴出する.

Remember it 噴 (spout) + 出 (out) → spouting out under pressure.

根拠こんきょのない噂うわさが不安ふあんを増幅ぞうふくさせた。

Groundless rumours amplified the anxiety.

Usage Technically, amplifying a signal — 増幅器 is an amplifier. Figuratively, 不安を増幅させる, 怒りを増幅する. Frequently causative.

Remember it 増 (increase) + 幅 (width, amplitude) → the amplitude made wider.

採算さいさんを度外視どがいししてでも品質ひんしつを守まもりたい。

I want to protect quality even if it means disregarding profitability.

Usage 〜を度外視する. Usual objects: 採算, 利益, コスト. Leaving a factor deliberately out of account, often to make a point about priorities.

Remember it 度 (measure) + 外 (outside) + 視 (regard) → treating it as outside the measurements altogether.

規則きそくだけが残のこり、制度せいどが形骸けいがい化かしている。

Only the rules remain, and the system has become an empty formality.

Usage 形骸化する, 形骸化した制度. A favourite of N1 reading passages: a rule still exists on paper while its purpose has drained away. 形骸 alone is a skeleton or a husk.

Remember it 形 (form) + 骸 (skeleton) + 化 → reduced to a skeleton of its form.

感情かんじょうを抑制よくせいして冷静れいせいに対応たいおうした。

He restrained his feelings and responded calmly.

Usage 感情を抑制する, 物価の抑制, 抑制的な態度. More formal than 抑える. Distinguish 抑止, which stops something before it begins; 抑制 holds down what is already under way.

Remember it 抑 (press down) + 制 (control) → pressing it down and keeping control.

細こまかい手続てつづきに拘泥こうでいして本質ほんしつを見失みうしなってはならない。

You must not fix on small procedures and lose sight of what matters.

Usage 〜に拘泥する. Critical: clinging to trifles. The everyday こだわる can be positive — a chef's こだわり is a virtue — but 拘泥 never is.

Remember it 拘 (hold fast) + 泥 (mud) → stuck fast in the mud over nothing.

誤あやまった情報じょうほうがSNSで急速きゅうそくに拡散かくさんした。

Incorrect information spread rapidly on social media.

Usage 情報が拡散する, 拡散希望 for 'please share'. Also physics and chemistry: diffusion. The social-media sense now dominates everyday use.

Remember it 拡 (widen) + 散 (scatter) → widening out and scattering everywhere.

両りょう候補こうほの支持しじ率りつは拮抗きっこうしている。

Support for the two candidates is evenly matched.

Usage 〜と拮抗する, 拮抗状態. Two forces holding each other in balance — elections, contests, rival powers. In pharmacology, 拮抗薬 is an antagonist drug.

Remember it 拮 (press against) + 抗 (resist) → each pressing and each resisting, neither giving way.

異ことなる意見いけんを排斥はいせきする風潮ふうちょうは危険きけんだ。

A climate that excludes differing opinions is dangerous.

Usage 〜を排斥する, 排斥運動. Aimed at people, ideas or goods, and always hostile — 外国人排斥 is xenophobia. 排除 is cooler and more neutral.

Remember it 排 (push out) + 斥 (drive away) → pushed out and driven off.

危険きけん要因よういんをあらかじめ排除はいじょしておく必要ひつようがある。

Risk factors need to be eliminated in advance.

Usage 〜を排除する, 可能性を排除できない for not ruling something out, 社会的排除 for social exclusion. Neutral where 排斥 is hostile; the object is usually a factor or a thing.

Remember it 排 (push out) + 除 (remove) → pushed out and taken away.

発言はつげんの一部いちぶを撤回てっかいし、謝罪しゃざいした。

He retracted part of his remark and apologised.

Usage 発言を撤回する, 提案の撤回. Political and legal. Its relatives share the 撤: 撤退 for withdrawing troops or a business, 撤廃 for abolishing a rule.

Remember it 撤 (withdraw) + 回 (back) → pulled back in again.

教科きょうか書しょは三さん年ねんごとに改訂かいていされる。

The textbooks are revised every three years.

Usage 改訂版 for a revised edition. Distinguish the homophone 改定, which revises a price or a rate — 料金の改定. 改訂 revises text.

Remember it 改 (alter) + 訂 (correct a text) → the text altered and corrected.

発言はつげんの意図いとを曲解きょっかいされてしまった。

The intent of my remark was twisted.

Usage 〜を曲解する. Read きょっかい. Unlike 誤解, an honest misunderstanding, 曲解 implies the distortion was deliberate — which is why it stings.

Remember it 曲 (bend) + 解 (interpret) → bending the interpretation out of shape.

仮説かせつが正ただしいかどうかを実験じっけんで検証けんしょうする。

We verify by experiment whether the hypothesis holds.

Usage 〜を検証する, 検証実験, 事実検証 for fact-checking. Distinguish 検討, which weighs options before deciding; 検証 tests whether something is true.

Remember it 検 (examine) + 証 (prove) → examining it to see whether it proves out.

報告ほうこく書しょには重要じゅうような視点してんが欠落けつらくしている。

The report is missing an important perspective.

Usage 〜が欠落する. Objects are usually abstract: 視点, 情報, 記憶. More formal than 抜けている, and it implies the missing piece should have been there.

Remember it 欠 (lack) + 落 (drop) → a piece dropped out of the whole.

構造こうぞう的てきな問題もんだいを個人こじんの責任せきにんに矮小わいしょう化かすべきではない。

Structural problems should not be reduced to matters of individual responsibility.

Usage 〜を矮小化する. A sharp term of criticism in argument: shrinking a large problem down to a small one so it can be dismissed. Read わいしょうか.

Remember it 矮 (dwarfed) + 小 (small) + 化 → cut down to dwarf size.

増収ぞうしゅう分ぶんはコストの上昇じょうしょうで相殺そうさいされた。

The gain in revenue was offset by rising costs.

Usage Read そうさい, not そうさつ — a classic reading question in 問題1. 〜と相殺する, 相殺される. Accounting and law: setting one claim against another.

Remember it 相 (mutually) + 殺 (cancel, kill) → each side cancelling the other out.

優秀ゆうしゅうな人材じんざいを確保かくほすることが急務きゅうむだ。

Securing outstanding people is an urgent task.

Usage 人材を確保する, 財源の確保, 安全確保, 席を確保する. Very common in business and administration: getting hold of something and making sure you keep it.

Remember it 確 (certain) + 保 (keep) → keeping it for certain.

申請しんせい手続てつづきの簡素かんそ化かが求もとめられている。

Simplification of application procedures is being called for.

Usage 手続きの簡素化, 〜を簡素化する. Objects: procedures, systems, organisations. The opposite process is 煩雑化, becoming complicated.

Remember it 簡 (brief) + 素 (plain) + 化 → made brief and plain.

判断はんだんを留保りゅうほし、追加ついか資料しりょうを待まつことにした。

We withheld judgement and decided to wait for further material.

Usage 判断を留保する, 回答を留保する. In law, a reservation entered to a treaty. Formal: holding something back rather than refusing it.

Remember it 留 (hold back) + 保 (keep) → kept back for now.

両りょう制度せいどは競合きょうごうではなく互たがいに補完ほかんし合あう関係かんけいだ。

The two systems are not in competition but complement each other.

Usage 〜を補完する, 補完関係, 相互補完. Distinguish 補充, filling a gap in quantity — 人員の補充 — where 補完 completes a function.

Remember it 補 (supplement) + 完 (complete) → supplying what it takes to be complete.

誤解ごかいを解消かいしょうするために直接ちょくせつ話はなし合あった。

To clear up the misunderstanding, we talked it over directly.

Usage 誤解を解消する, 不安の解消, ストレス解消, 契約を解消する. The object is either a negative state to be dissolved or a relationship to be ended.

Remember it 解 (undo) + 消 (make vanish) → undone until it is gone.

不用意ふよういな発言はつげんが対立たいりつを誘発ゆうはつした。

A careless remark triggered the confrontation.

Usage 〜を誘発する. The result is almost always unwanted — 事故, 対立, 炎症. More formal than 招く, and the cause is indirect.

Remember it 誘 (entice) + 発 (set off) → drawing something out until it goes off.

責任せきにんを部下ぶかに転嫁てんかするのは上司じょうしとして失格しっかくだ。

Shifting the blame to a subordinate disqualifies you as a manager.

Usage 責任を転嫁する for passing the buck, コストを転嫁する for passing costs on to the customer. The first is condemnation, the second neutral economics.

Remember it 転 (shift) + 嫁 (marry off) → marrying the burden off into someone else's house.

現場げんばの声こえを軽視けいししたことが失敗しっぱいの原因げんいんだ。

Making light of voices from the front line is the cause of the failure.

Usage 〜を軽視する. Its exact opposite, 重視, appears constantly alongside it — 安全を重視し、コストを軽視する. An N1 favourite as a contrast pair.

Remember it 軽 (light) + 視 (regard) → regarding it as weighing nothing.

世論よろんに迎合げいごうするだけの政策せいさくでは長続ながつづきしない。

Policy that merely panders to public opinion will not last.

Usage 〜に迎合する. Always negative — going along with 世論, 大衆 or 権力 at the cost of your own position. Compare 妥協, which can be principled.

Remember it 迎 (welcome, go out to meet) + 合 (fall in with) → going out to meet their wishes and falling in behind them.

利益りえきのみを追求ついきゅうする経営けいえいは批判ひはんを浴あびた。

Management that pursues profit alone drew criticism.

Usage A classic trap: three homophones. 追求 pursues something desirable — 利益, 幸福. 追及 pursues responsibility — 責任を追及する. 追究 pursues knowledge — 真理を追究する.

Remember it 追 (chase) + 求 (seek) → chasing after what you want.

各地かくちの意見いけんを集約しゅうやくして報告ほうこく書しょにまとめた。

They aggregated opinions from around the country into a report.

Usage 意見を集約する, 労働集約型 for labour-intensive. Gathering many things into one concentrated whole; 集中 is concentration in one place.

Remember it 集 (gather) + 約 (condense) → gathered in and boiled down.

今回こんかいの事故じこで管理かんり体制たいせいの甘あまさが露呈ろていした。

The accident exposed how lax the management system was.

Usage 〜が露呈する. The subject is always a fault or weakness that becomes visible. Common in news writing: 課題が露呈する, 実力の差が露呈した.

Remember it 露 (exposed, dew) + 呈 (present) → laid out where everyone can see it.

資金しきん難なんで計画けいかくは頓挫とんざした。

The plan collapsed for lack of funds.

Usage 計画が頓挫する. Only plans and projects 頓挫 — the thing stalls part-way and does not resume. Read とんざ.

Remember it 頓 (abruptly) + 挫 (break, sprain) → snapped off short in mid-stride.

これまで潜ひそんでいた矛盾むじゅんが一気いっきに顕在けんざい化かした。

Contradictions that had been hidden until now surfaced all at once.

Usage 顕在化する. Its exact counterpart is 潜在化, and the pair 顕在/潜在 recurs constantly — 潜在能力 is latent ability, 顕在需要 is demand already visible.

Remember it 顕 (manifest) + 在 (exist) + 化 → what existed hidden becoming plain.

再三さいさんの申もうし入いれは黙殺もくさつされた。

Repeated requests were met with silence.

Usage 〜を黙殺する. Colder than 無視: not merely ignoring but killing the thing by refusing to acknowledge it. Famous in the wartime handling of the Potsdam Declaration.

Remember it 黙 (silence) + 殺 (kill) → killing it with silence.

交渉こうしょうは膠着こうちゃく状態じょうたいに陥おちいった。

The negotiations fell into deadlock.

Usage Almost always 膠着状態. Read こうちゃく. 膠 is animal glue — the image is of two sides stuck fast to each other, unable to move.

Remember it 膠 (glue) + 着 (stick) → glued in place.

関係かんけい国こくの思惑おもわくが絡からみ、交渉こうしょうは難航なんこうしている。

With the interests of the countries involved entangled, negotiations are running into difficulty.

Usage 交渉が難航する, 捜索が難航する. From sailing through heavy seas. Common in news reporting, and the progress is slow rather than stopped — unlike 頓挫.

Remember it 難 (difficult) + 航 (sail) → heavy sailing against the sea.

根本こんぽん的てきな議論ぎろんを先送さきおくりしてきたつけが回まわってきた。

The bill has come due for years of postponing the fundamental debate.

Usage 問題を先送りする. Always critical — kicking the problem down the road rather than settling it. A staple of Japanese political commentary.

Remember it 先 (further ahead) + 送り (sending) → sending it on ahead for someone else to deal with.

双方そうほうの歩あゆみ寄よりにより、ようやく合意ごういに達たっした。

Thanks to compromise on both sides, agreement was finally reached.

Usage 歩み寄りを見せる, and the verb 歩み寄る. Positive, and mutual: each side gives ground. 妥協 can carry a hint of giving up principle; 歩み寄り does not.

Remember it 歩む (walk) + 寄る (draw near) → both sides walking toward each other.