滅ぼす・亡ぼす|ほろぼすhorobosu[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
滅ぼす滅ぼす（ほろぼす） is the most common written form, using kanji and kana together. Beginners should use this form.
亡ぼす亡ぼす（ほろぼす） is a less common kanji-and-kana variant. Beginners should generally choose 滅ぼす instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto destroy; to overthrow; to wreck; to ruin
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 滅ぼす（ほろぼす） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 滅ぼします（ほろぼします） |
| Negative (nai) | 滅ぼさない（ほろぼさない） |
| polite (masen) | 滅ぼしません（ほろぼしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 滅ぼさず・滅ぼさぬ（ほろぼさず・ほろぼさぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 滅ぼした（ほろぼした） |
| polite (mashita) | 滅ぼしました（ほろぼしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 滅ぼさなかった（ほろぼさなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 滅ぼしませんでした（ほろぼしませんでした） |
| Te form | 滅ぼして（ほろぼして） |
| Potential | 滅ぼせる（ほろぼせる） |
| Passive | 滅ぼされる（ほろぼされる） |
| Causative | 滅ぼさせる（ほろぼさせる） |
| Causative passive | 滅ぼさせられる（ほろぼさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 滅ぼせば（ほろぼせば） |
| tara | 滅ぼしたら（ほろぼしたら） |
| Volitional | 滅ぼそう（ほろぼそう） |
| polite (mashou) | 滅ぼしましょう（ほろぼしましょう） |
| Imperative | 滅ぼせ（ほろぼせ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
国を滅ぼす
滅びる describes a subject (marked by が) undergoing ruin or extinction on its own, while 滅ぼす describes an agent causing that ruin to an object (marked by を).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym撲滅ぼくめつWrittenFormal. Used for eradicating harmful things such as disease or crime; 「滅ぼす」 typically takes nations, families, enemies, or oneself as its object.
- Synonym根絶こんぜつWrittenFormal. Eradicating disease, vices, and the like; 「滅ぼす」 is mostly for nations and enemies, or 「身を滅ぼす」.
- Synonym撃滅げきめつWrittenFormal. Means attacking and destroying enemy forces; 「滅ぼす」 is not limited to military attack and also appears in 「身を滅ぼす」.
- Synonym殲滅せんめつWrittenFormal. Means annihilating the enemy completely, with a stronger sense of totality; 「滅ぼす」 focuses on bringing something to ruin.
- Synonym掃滅そうめつWrittenFormal and rare. Means sweeping away and wiping out; in everyday speech say 「滅ぼす」 or 「全滅させる」.
- Synonym討ち滅ぼすうちほろぼすWrittenFormal. Carries a historical flavor: to subdue by force and destroy; 「滅ぼす」 is not limited to the use of force.
- Synonym討滅とうめつWrittenFormal. Destroying enemies or evil forces by subjugation; in everyday speech use 「滅ぼす」.
- Related壊滅かいめつWrittenFormal. Refers to suffering a devastating blow and being all but wiped out, often as 「壊滅的」 or 「壊滅状態」; 「滅ぼす」 is bringing a nation or race to ruin.
- Related取り壊すとりこわすNeutralMeans demolishing a building; 「滅ぼす」 takes nations or races as its object, not buildings.
- Related取り壊しとりこわしNeutralA noun for the demolition of buildings; unlike 「滅ぼす」, it has nothing to do with bringing something to ruin.
- Related取り崩すとりくずすNeutralMeans tearing down, or gradually drawing on savings or funds; it does not express perishing.
- Related壊すこわすNeutralThe most common word for breaking things; its objects are items, bodies, relationships. 「滅ぼす」 takes wholes such as nations or families.
- Related破壊はかいNeutralDestruction of buildings, systems, the environment, etc.; 「滅ぼす」 means making something perish and cease to exist.
- Related大破たいはWrittenFormal. Severe damage, as in a wrecked vehicle; 「滅ぼす」 is about perishing.
- Related損壊そんかいWrittenFormal. Damage to buildings or objects; 「滅ぼす」 takes nations or races as its object.
- Related取り払うとりはらうNeutralMeans clearing away or removing obstacles such as partition walls; it does not express perishing.
- Related潰すつぶすNeutralMeans crushing, driving a company under, or wasting time; 「滅ぼす」 stresses perishing. The two are not distinguished by scale.
- Related打ち壊すうちこわすNeutralMeans smashing things or doing away with old customs and plans; 「滅ぼす」 is making an entire entity perish.
- Relatedぶち壊すぶちこわすCasualColloquial. Smashing things or wrecking plans and atmospheres; 「滅ぼす」 is about nations and races perishing.
- Relatedすり潰すすりつぶすNeutralMeans mashing or grinding, and figuratively running through a fortune; 「滅ぼす」 means bringing to ruin.
- Related毀つこぼつWrittenArchaic. Means destroying or damaging; in everyday speech say 「壊す」.
- Related取り潰すとりつぶすNeutralMeans dissolving or abolishing an organization or department; historically, confiscating domains and abolishing daimyo houses. 「滅ぼす」 is total destruction.
- Related叩き壊すたたきこわすNeutralMeans smashing things to pieces; 「滅ぼす」 is not about physical smashing.
- Antonym生むうむNeutralAntonym. Means giving birth to or producing new things, the opposite of 「滅ぼす」 making something perish.
- Antonym生かすいかすNeutralAntonym. Means keeping something alive or putting it to good use, the opposite of 「滅ぼす」 bringing it to ruin.
Use 「滅ぼす」 for bringing a nation or race to ruin, or for 「身を滅ぼす」. For annihilating enemy troops say 「殲滅」, for wiping out disease or crime 「撲滅」, for breaking things 「壊す」, and for demolishing buildings 「取り壊す」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
