synonym Comparative
食い止める
VS
固唾をのむ
Differences Between "食い止める" and "固唾をのむ"
Option A
食い止める
Meaning
to check, to hold back, to prevent from spreading/advancing
Reading
くいとめる (kuitomeru)
Syllabus Level
N2
Practical Example
消防士たちは火事の延焼を必死に食い止めた。
The firefighters desperately checked the spread of the fire.
Option B
固唾をのむ
Meaning
to hold one's breath; to watch with bated breath (due to tension/suspense)
Reading
かたずをのむ (katazu o nomu)
Syllabus Level
N2
Practical Example
試合の最終局面で、観客は皆固唾をのんで見守った。
In the final moments of the game, all the spectators watched with bated breath.
Which one to use?
Select the correct Japanese word for this context
Which word fits this context: "(to check, to hold back, to prevent from spreading/advancing)"?
🎉 正解 / Correct!
使い分け解説:
- 食い止める: To stop something negative (e.g., damage, fire, progress of an enemy, spread of disease) from continuing, advancing, or getting worse. Implies active intervention.
- 固唾をのむ: An idiom expressing intense suspense, tension, or concentration, often in anticipation of an outcome. (緊張や期待で息をひそめて成り行きを見守る様子。)
- 食い止める: To stop something negative (e.g., damage, fire, progress of an enemy, spread of disease) from continuing, advancing, or getting worse. Implies active intervention.
- 固唾をのむ: An idiom expressing intense suspense, tension, or concentration, often in anticipation of an outcome. (緊張や期待で息をひそめて成り行きを見守る様子。)
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