godan verb (-su), transitive verb
knock down; fell; lay down; recline
Transitive physical use: make something standing fall over, put something on its side, or lower a seat or backrest.
強い風が看板を倒した。
The strong wind knocked down the sign.
座席を
May I recline the seat a little?
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Used for defeating an opponent or enemy; with monsters or in violent contexts it can mean to kill or slay. The rare forms 斃す, 殪す, and 仆す point especially to this sense.
勇者はドラゴンを倒した。
The hero defeated the dragon.
決勝で去年の優勝者を倒した。
He beat last year's champion in the final.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Figurative use for bringing down a government, organization, rival, or business rather than physically toppling something.
市民の抗議が独裁政権を倒した。
The citizens' protests overthrew the dictatorship.
放漫経営が会社を倒した。
Careless management ruined the company.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
leave unpaid; cheat someone out of payment
Rare or colloquial use for not paying what one owes; modern Japanese more commonly uses 踏み倒す for this idea.
「ツケを倒す」は、飲み代などを払わずに逃げるという意味で使われることがある。
Tsuke o taosu is sometimes used to mean running off without paying a bar tab or similar debt.
auxiliary verb, godan verb (-su)
do completely; do thoroughly; do to the fullest
Auxiliary use attached to the masu-stem of another verb, as in 使い倒す or 遊び倒す, meaning to do something intensively, thoroughly, or until it is exhausted.
このカメラは十年使い倒した。
I used this camera thoroughly for ten years.
週末は新しいゲームを遊び倒した。
I played the new game all weekend to my heart's content.