Translation guide
To defeat someone decisively in a competition, contest, or argument. In Japanese, this is expressed with verbs meaning 'to beat thoroughly', 'to defeat soundly', or 'to trounce', often with intensifying adverbs.
Express that one side won overwhelmingly against another in a competitive setting.
Literally 'make someone lose miserably'. A common, slightly casual way to say you gave someone a drubbing in a game or match.
昨日の試合で相手をぼろ負けさせた。
We gave the other team a drubbing in yesterday's game.
A standard, slightly formal verb meaning 'to win a crushing victory'. Suitable for both spoken and written contexts.
Express that someone was thoroughly out-argued or verbally overwhelmed.
The English phrase 'give a drubbing' has no direct single-word equivalent in Japanese. Using a literal translation like 'ドラビングを与える' would be incomprehensible. Instead, use the verbs and phrases above that convey the sense of a one-sided defeat.
圧勝する focuses on the winner's overwhelming victory, while ぼろ負けさせる focuses on making the opponent lose badly. Both are common, but 圧勝 is more neutral and can be used in formal reports, whereas ぼろ負けさせる is more colloquial.
Our team gave them a drubbing in the finals.
A vivid, colloquial phrase meaning 'to beat someone to a pulp' figuratively. Emphasizes a one-sided, humiliating defeat.
テニスで彼をこてんぱんにやっつけた。
I gave him a drubbing in tennis.
Means 'to win by a large margin'. A straightforward, neutral way to describe a decisive victory.
彼らは大差で勝って、相手に大敗を喫させた。
They won by a large margin, giving their opponents a drubbing.
Literally 'to pulverize'. Used metaphorically in sports or competition contexts to mean 'to crush' or 'to annihilate'. Sounds dramatic and is more common in written or emphatic speech.
強豪チームが下位チームを粉砕した。
The powerhouse team gave the underdog a drubbing.
Means 'to talk someone down' or 'to defeat in an argument'. The focus is on verbal overpowering.
彼は議論で相手を完全に言い負かした。
He gave his opponent a drubbing in the debate.
A formal term meaning 'to refute completely' or 'to win an argument decisively'. Often used in academic or political contexts.
彼女は相手の主張を次々と論破した。
She gave her opponent a drubbing by refuting every point.
Means 'to put someone in their place' or 'to shut someone up with a counterargument'. Implies a sharp, often humiliating verbal defeat.
彼の反論を一言でやり込めた。
I gave him a drubbing with a single retort.