How to say "blight" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 粛殺しゅくさつnoun, suru verbCovers blight as the withering of plants — vegetation shriveling and dying. An uncommon word, and seldom the practical choice; for blight as an actual plant disease, 立ち枯れ病 is the specific term.
- 立ち枯れ病たちがれびょうnounThe name of an actual plant disease — damping-off or die-back — so it covers blight only in the literal sense of crops or seedlings withering and dying, not any figurative use.
- 害毒がいどくnounBlight in the figurative sense: a harmful influence that works like a poison on people or society — 'a blight on society'. It does not refer to plant disease.
- 蠧毒とどくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA formal or literary term for harm or damage; its 'blight' sense is figurative, not a plant disease. Given its literary character, it is seldom the word learners need.
For blight as an actual plant disease choose 「立ち枯れ病」; for a figurative blight on people or society choose 害毒; 粛殺 and 蠧毒 are uncommon words for withering and for harm respectively, rarely the practical choice.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
