Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

腐す (くさす) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

腐くさす

く

さ

す

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

speak ill of; run down; badmouth

Used when someone criticizes or disparages another person or thing, often in a negative or fault-finding way.

彼かれはいつも他た人にんのことを腐くさす。
He always speaks ill of others.
そんなに自じ分ぶんの作さく品ひんを腐

くさ

さ

ない

で

。

Don't run down your own work so much.

Written forms

腐くさすUsage17%
Standard kanji spelling for this verb.
くさすUsage83%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing.

Kanji

腐rot, decay, sour

Similar words

悪わる口ぐちを言いう
悪口を言う is a more general phrase for saying bad things about someone, while 腐す often implies a more persistent or nitpicking criticism.
けなす
けなす also means to speak ill of or disparage, but 腐す can carry a nuance of finding fault in a more contemptuous or dismissive way.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 腐る (くさる, 'to rot') with the suffix す, which adds a transitive or causative sense, literally 'to make rot' and figuratively 'to disparage'.