A mimetic word for a creaking or squeaking sound produced when things rub or old parts move.
古い戸がぎゅうぎゅうと音を立てた。
The old door creaked.
床が軋んでぎゅうぎゅう鳴るので夜はそっと歩いた。
The floor squeaked, so I walked quietly at night.
車輪が砂でぎゅうぎゅうと擦れている音が聞こえる。
You can hear the wheels scraping noisily against the sand.
Describes being packed in tightly or crammed; things or people pressed closely together.
バッグに本をぎゅうぎゅう詰めたら閉まらなくなった。
I packed books into the bag until it was crammed and it wouldn't close.
ラッシュ時の電車は人でぎゅうぎゅうだ。
The train is packed with people during rush hour.
子供たちは教室の隅にぎゅうぎゅうと座ってゲームをしていた。
The children were sitting squeezed together in the corner of the classroom playing a game.
Expresses doing something forcefully — pressing, tightening, twisting — with a sense of making something tight or firm.
不安でハンドルをぎゅうぎゅう握ってしまった。
I gripped the steering wheel tightly with anxiety.
ネジをぎゅうぎゅうに締めて、ぐらつかないようにした。
I tightened the screw firmly so it wouldn't wobble.
包帯をぎゅうぎゅう巻きすぎて血が止まらなくなったので注意した。
I was warned because I had wrapped the bandage too tightly and it prevented circulation.
Colloquial use meaning to go hard on someone — press, grill, or torment them with questions or criticism.
面接官にぎゅうぎゅう詰めに質問されて、答えに窮した。
I was grilled by the interviewers and ran out of answers.
先輩がミスの理由をぎゅうぎゅう責めたので、彼は泣きそうになった。
A senior sharply pressed him about the mistake, and he nearly cried.
記者たちが選手をぎゅうぎゅう取り囲んで質問を浴びせた。
Reporters surrounded the athlete and bombarded him with questions.