滅びる・亡びる|ほろびるhorobiru[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
Which spelling to use
滅びる滅びる is the more common written form and the recommended choice for beginners. Use it as the default spelling when writing this verb.
亡びる亡びる is less common than 滅びる. It is a written variant, but beginners should choose 滅びる instead.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto go to ruin; to go under; to fall; to be destroyed; to die out; to become extinct; to perish
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 滅びる（ほろびる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 滅びます（ほろびます） |
| Negative (nai) | 滅びない（ほろびない） |
| polite (masen) | 滅びません（ほろびません） |
| classical zu / nu | 滅びず・滅びぬ（ほろびず・ほろびぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 滅びた（ほろびた） |
| polite (mashita) | 滅びました（ほろびました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 滅びなかった（ほろびなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 滅びませんでした（ほろびませんでした） |
| Te form | 滅びて（ほろびて） |
| Potential | 滅びられる（ほろびられる） |
| Passive | 滅びられる（ほろびられる） |
| Causative | 滅びさせる（ほろびさせる） |
| Causative passive | 滅びさせられる（ほろびさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 滅びれば（ほろびれば） |
| tara | 滅びたら（ほろびたら） |
| Volitional | 滅びよう（ほろびよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 滅びましょう（ほろびましょう） |
| Imperative | 滅びろ（ほろびろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
国が滅びる
滅びる focuses on the subject undergoing ruin or perishing on its own (as in 国が滅びる), while 滅ぼす focuses on an agent actively destroying something (as in 国を滅ぼす).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym滅亡めつぼうWrittenWritten Sino-Japanese noun for the fall of a nation or people, as in 「ローマ帝国の滅亡」; leans toward historical narrative.
- Synonym絶えるたえるNeutralMeans ceasing or being cut off, as in 「息が絶える」「連絡が絶える」; leans toward interruption and need not mean total ruin.
- Synonym絶滅ぜつめつWrittenWritten noun for the extinction of species, as in 「絶滅危惧種」; leans biological.
- Synonym破滅はめつWrittenWritten noun for utter ruin, as in 「破滅への道」; leans toward the downfall of an individual.
- Synonym死滅しめつWrittenWritten noun for organisms or bacteria dying out completely; leans biomedical.
- Synonym果てるはてるNeutralMeans coming to an end or dying, as in 「旅の果てる所」; also serves as an auxiliary verb in 「呆れ果てる」.
- Synonym滅ぶほろぶNeutralGodan conjugation of the same verb, meaning identical, as in 「国が滅ぶ」; slightly old-fashioned in flavor but at home in both speech and writing.
- Synonym滅するめっするWrittenWritten word for perishing or being destroyed; rare in modern Japanese, found mostly in Buddhist expressions.
- Synonym衰亡すいぼうWrittenWritten noun for decline and fall; rare in modern Japanese.
- Related廃絶はいぜつWrittenWritten noun for abolishing or eliminating something, as in 「核兵器廃絶」; leans toward human-driven elimination.
- Related消え失せるきえうせるCasualColloquial: to vanish without a trace, or to die. Its imperative 「消え失せろ」 is a rude way to tell someone to get lost.
- Related滅失めっしつWrittenLegal term for the loss or destruction of property, as in 「建物の滅失」; not used for the fall of nations or civilizations.
- Related絶え果てるたえはてるWrittenWritten verb for ceasing completely; carries a literary flavor.
- Antonym栄えるさかえるNeutralAntonym: to prosper or flourish, as in 「町が栄える」 — the opposite of the decline 「滅びる」 describes.
- Antonym繁栄するWrittenWritten antonym: to prosper and flourish; the opposite of 「滅びる」.
Use 「滅びる」 for the decline and disappearance of nations, civilizations or peoples, as in 「文明が滅びる」. For the noun use 「滅亡」; for the extinction of species, 「絶滅」; for an individual's ruin, 「破滅」. The opposites are 「栄える」 and 「繁栄する」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
