ほじります（ほじります、hojirimasu）
- to pick (at)

The Japanese verb ほじります means to pick, dig, or scratch at something, often with a finger or a small object. It usually implies a small, focused action, frequently related to removing something unwanted or exploring a small space. It often suggests an action done with the fingers or a small tool, like a toothpick or a small stick. The action is typically done to remove something, like dirt, or to investigate something. It can also imply the act of poking or prodding.

⚫︎鼻（はな）をほじります。 Translation: I pick my nose. ⚫︎歯（は）の間（あいだ）の食べ物（たべもの）を爪楊枝（つまようじ）でほじります。 Translation: I pick the food out of my teeth with a toothpick. ⚫︎耳（みみ）をほじりすぎると痛（いた）くなる。 Translation: If you pick your ears too much, it will hurt.

This verb is used in situations where someone is physically picking, digging, or scratching at something. It is a common word, although considered somewhat impolite to use in public. It's often used when talking about actions related to the body, like picking your nose or ears, but it can also be used for other actions like digging in the ground. Use this word when you want to describe the action of removing something small from a tight space.

The verb ほじります is primarily written in hiragana as ほじります. The kanji form is 穿ります or 抉ります. The okurigana is fixed to り. The polite form is ほじります -> ほじります (change the final "ru" to "ri")

⚫︎掻（か）く - to scratch ⚫︎掘（ほ）る - to dig ⚫︎えぐる - to gouge, to scoop out (can be more aggressive or violent)

There isn't a direct antonym, but you could consider verbs that mean "to cover" or "to fill" as opposites in some contexts.

鼻（はな）の穴（あな）をほじってはいけません。 ・Translation: You must not pick your nose. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the て-form of ほじります, showing the action in progress. It gives a rule of not picking one's nose.

地面（じめん）をほじって、小（ちい）さな虫（むし）を見（み）つけました。 ・Translation: I dug in the ground and found a small insect. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the て-form of ほじります and shows the action of digging, but it also implies a focused small action.

The etymology of ほじります is not definitively known, but it is likely derived from onomatopoeia related to the action of digging or picking. The core meaning is digging or removing something from a confined space.