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Kotomora

潰

crush, smash, break, dissipate

StatusJōyō · secondary schoolStrokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • カイ
  • エ

Kun'yomi

  • つぶ.す
  • つぶ.れる
  • つい.える

Meaning

潰 centers on forceful destruction that breaks something apart: crushing, smashing, or breaking into pieces. The dissipate sense extends this to things scattering or vanishing after being broken.

Most common words using 潰

20 of 47
  • 潰すつぶす
    N3

    to smash; to crush; to flatten

  • 潰れつぶれ

    collapse; ruin; destruction

  • 潰れるつぶれる
    N3

    to be crushed; to be squashed; to be smashed; to be destroyed; to be broken; to collapse

  • 潰瘍かいよう

    ulcer

  • 潰えるついえる

    to collapse (of a building, dream, plan, etc.); to be destroyed; to fall through; to break down

  • 胃潰瘍いかいよう

    stomach ulcer; gastric ulcer

  • 目潰しめつぶし

    sand, ash, etc., thrown in the eyes to blind someone; throwing something at someone's eyes to blind them

  • 穀潰しごくつぶし

    good-for-nothing; parasite; deadbeat; loafer; drone; idler

  • 虱潰ししらみつぶし

    very thorough search (for contraband, escaped convict, etc.); fine-tooth-comb search; exhaustive search; scouring

  • 顔を潰すかおをつぶす

    to make someone lose face; to embarrass someone; to make someone look foolish

  • すり潰すすりつぶす

    to mash; to grind; to pulverize; to pulverise; to deface

  • ぶっ潰すぶっつぶす

    to smash (violently); to crush

  • ストレス潰瘍ストレスかいよう

    stress ulcer

  • ネタ潰しネタつぶし

    publicly predicting the future developments of a creative work (making it difficult for the creator to use those ideas)

  • プチプチ潰しプチプチつぶし

    popping bubble wrap (for fun, stress relief, etc.)

  • 十二指腸潰瘍じゅうにしちょうかいよう

    duodenal ulcer

  • 半潰れはんつぶれ

    half demolished

  • 取り潰しとりつぶし

    dissolution of a feudal clan by the shogunate and confiscation of its fief

  • 取り潰すとりつぶす

    to dissolve (an organization, company, etc.); to break up; to close down; to scrap (a plan, etc.)

  • 叩き潰すたたきつぶす

    to (hit and) crush; to smash; to squash

Explore all words using 潰 →

Study

Etymology

潰 combines 氵 (water) with 貴, which likely contributes the sound. The idea is water breaking through or destroying something, leading to meanings like crush or dissipate.

Meaning mnemonic

Water 氵 can be destructive, and 貴 suggests something valuable. Imagine a flood crushing and smashing a precious object, breaking it apart until it dissipates.

Reading mnemonic

For カイ, picture a crushing wave that sounds like a loud 'kai!' as it smashes into a pier: kai -> カイ, and the wave breaks everything apart.