下した火び

し

た

び

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Describes a fire that is burning low, or figuratively, a trend, excitement, or activity that is losing strength. Often used with になる or だ.

火か事じはようやく下した火びになった。
The fire has finally died down.
ブームはもう下した火びだ。
The boom is already waning.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が下した火びになるfor something (a trend, craze, fire, etc.) to die down
あのブームもすっかり下した火びになった。
That craze has completely died down now.
〈事こと〉は下した火びの傾けい向こうにあるsomething is showing a tendency to wane
最さい近きん、あの病びょう気きの感かん染せんは下した火びの傾けい向こうにある。
Recently, infections from that disease have been tending to decline.

Expressions

下した火びになるdie down (fire); be brought under control (fire) · decline; wane; fall off; go out of fashion

Kanji

下below, down, descend
火fire

Related words

衰すい退たいN1
衰退 is a formal word for long-term decline (e.g. of an economy or industry), while 下火 more casually describes a fire, trend, or activity losing intensity.
低てい迷めいN1
低迷 describes something stuck in a slump or stagnating at a low level, whereas 下火 focuses on the process of losing strength from a previous peak.
鎮ちん静せい化か
沈静化 is used for a situation (e.g. unrest, an epidemic) calming down, while 下火 more broadly covers any trend or fire dying down.

Opposites

全ぜん盛せいN1
全盛 describes something at its peak of popularity or strength, the opposite of 下火, which describes it fading.
盛もり上あがり
下火 describes enthusiasm or activity dying down, the opposite of 盛り上がり, which describes it building up to a peak.

Don't confuse with

鎮ちん火か
鎮火 means a fire has been completely put out, while 下火 means it is only burning low or, figuratively, a trend is just weakening.

Built from

下した+火ひ

Etymology

Compound of 下 (した, 'under, below') and 火 (ひ, 'fire'), with rendaku voicing of ひ to び. Literally 'low fire', it originally referred to a fire that has burned down and later extended to figurative decline.