激増

げきぞう

sudden increase

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

The word "激増" (げきぞう) means a sudden or rapid increase, often used to describe numbers or quantities that grow sharply in a short period. It is a noun and can also be used as a suru-verb (激増する).

Common Contexts

You will often see 激増 used in news reports, business contexts, or discussions about statistics, such as population growth, sales figures, or incidents. It conveys a strong sense of rapid escalation.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 激増する: to increase rapidly or suddenly
  • 利用者が激増する: users increase sharply
  • 事故が激増する: accidents surge
  • 数が激増する: numbers increase dramatically

Register and Nuance

激増 is a formal word, suitable for written and spoken Japanese in professional or academic contexts. It is less common in casual conversation where simpler expressions like 増える (ふえる) might be used.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 激増 with 増加 (ぞうか), which also means increase but is more neutral and less intense. Use 激増 when emphasizing a sharp, sudden rise.

Example Sentences

さいきん、すまーとふぉんのりようしゃがげきぞうしている。

Recently, the number of smartphone users has suddenly increased.

あたらしいほうりつがしこうされてから、こうつうじこのけんすうがげきぞうした。

Since the new law was enforced, the number of traffic accidents has surged.

いんたーねっとのふきゅうにより、じょうほうりょうがげきぞうした。

Due to the spread of the internet, the amount of information has dramatically increased.