肥|こえkoe[2]odaka (tail-high)

1. nounmanure; night soil; dung; fertiliser; fertilizer

• Synonym肥やしこやしNeutralMeans fertiliser, and figuratively nourishment that helps one grow, as in 「経験を肥やしにする」; 「肥」 alone mostly means manure and has a rustic feel.
• Synonym肥料ひりょうNeutralThe most common, formal word for fertiliser, covering chemical fertilisers too.
• Synonym下肥しもごえNeutralFertiliser made from human waste; an old-fashioned farming term, more specific than 「肥」.

Use 「肥」 for farm manure in rustic speech, as in 「肥溜め」. 「肥料」 is the standard formal word for fertiliser, including chemical kinds. 「肥やし」 also covers figurative nourishment for growth; 「下肥」 is an old term for human-waste manure.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. (こえ) こやし。肥料ひりょう。また、肥料ひりょうに用もちいる糞尿ふんにょう。