Translation guide
The English phrase 'mowing down' can refer to cutting vegetation or, more commonly, to killing or defeating many people or things quickly and violently. This guide covers both literal and figurative uses.
To cut down grass, crops, or plants with a tool or machine.
General verb for cutting grass, crops, or hair. Often used for mowing lawns or harvesting.
週末に芝生を刈った。
I mowed the lawn on the weekend.
To reap or cut down, often used for harvesting crops or mowing large areas. Can also be used figuratively.
The farmer is reaping the wheat.
Literally 'do grass cutting'. A common way to say 'mow the lawn' or 'cut weeds'.
I have to mow the lawn today.
To kill or destroy a large number of people or things in a violent, sweeping manner, often with gunfire or other weapons.
Literally 'mow down', used for both physically knocking people over and figuratively defeating many opponents. Common in action contexts.
The soldiers mowed down the enemy one after another.
To mop up or wipe out, often used in military contexts for eliminating remaining forces.
The special forces mowed down the terrorists.
To kill everyone; massacre. Stronger and more explicit than 'mow down', but conveys a similar sweeping destruction.
To defeat many opponents easily and quickly, as in a competition.
The literal meaning of 'mowing down' (cutting grass) is not the most common usage in English. In Japanese, 刈る is only for cutting plants; do not use it for killing people. Use なぎ倒す or other violent terms for the figurative sense.
The invaders mowed down the villagers.
He mowed down his opponents in the preliminaries.