削そぐ

そ

ぐ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

削ぐ · godan verb (-gu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	削そぐ	削そがない
Polite	削そぎます	削そぎません
Past polite	削そぎました	削そぎませんでした
Past	削そいだ	削そがなかった
Te-form	削そいで	削そがないで
Desire	削そぎたい	削そぎたくない
Potential	削そげる	削そげない
Passive	削そがれる	削そがれない
Causative	削そがせる	削そがせない
Causative passive	削そがせられるalso 削そがされる	削そがせられないalso 削そがされない
Volitional	削そごう
Polite volitional	削そぎましょう
Imperative	削そげ	削そぐな
Conditional	削そげば	削そがなければ
Tara conditional	削そいだら	削そがなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-gu), transitive verb

shave off; slice off; sharpen

Physical action of cutting away a thin layer or edge, often to shape or sharpen something like wood or a pencil.

鉛えん筆ぴつの先さきをナイフで削そぐ。
I shave the tip of the pencil with a knife.
枝えだの先さきを少すこし削そいでから差さし込こむ。
Shave the end of the branch a little before inserting it.

godan verb (-gu), transitive verb

dampen; diminish; spoil

usually written using kana alone

Metaphorical use: to reduce or weaken something abstract like enthusiasm, interest, or mood. Usually written in kana.

彼かれの一ひと言ことでやる気きをそがれた。
His one remark dampened my motivation.
雨あめでせっかくの遠えん足そくの楽たのしみがそがれた。
The rain spoiled the fun of the long-awaited excursion.

See all 33 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を削そぎ切ぎりにするto cut something into diagonal slices
刺さし身みを削そぎ切ぎりにして皿さらに盛もった。
I sliced the sashimi diagonally and arranged it on a plate.
〈人ひと〉の意い欲よくを削そぐto dampen someone's motivation
上じょう司しの厳きびしい叱しっ責せきが新しん入にゅう社しゃ員いんの意い欲よくを削そいだ。
The boss's harsh scolding dampened the new employee's motivation.
〈物もの〉を薄うすく削そぐto shave something into a thin slice or edge
木き片へんを薄うすく削そいで矢やじりの形かたちを作つくった。
I shaved the piece of wood thin to shape it into an arrowhead.
〈人ひと〉の集しゅう中ちゅう力りょくを削そぐto disrupt someone's concentration
突とつ然ぜんの物もの音おとが私わたしの集しゅう中ちゅう力りょくを削そいだ。
A sudden noise broke my concentration.

Expressions

気き勢せいを削そぐdampen someone's spirit; take the wind out of someone's sails

Kanji

削plane, sharpen, whittle
殺kill, murder, butcher

Related words

削けずるN3sense 1
削る is the general, everyday word for shaving or scraping something down, while 削ぐ specifically suggests slicing off a thin layer or edge and also carries the metaphorical sense of dampening feelings.
損そこなうN1
損なう is a broader word for damaging or spoiling something (health, mood, relationship), while 削ぐ in its metaphorical sense specifically means to weaken or reduce something like enthusiasm or motivation.

Opposites

高たかめるN2
高める means to raise or heighten something like motivation or morale, the opposite of 削ぐ's metaphorical sense of dampening or diminishing it.

Don't confuse with

剥はぐN1sense 1
剥ぐ means to strip or peel off an outer covering (like skin or bark), whereas 削ぐ means to slice or shave off a thin piece with a blade, often to shape or sharpen something.

Word family

鬢びん削そぎ
cutting sidelocks; evenly cut sidelocks (Heian-era adulthood symbol for noblewomen); coming-of-age sidelock-cutting ritual (late Muromachi to Edo period for women)

Written forms

削そぐUsage36%
Standard kanji for physical shaving/cutting and metaphorical dampening.
そぐUsage51%
Kana spelling is usual for the metaphorical sense (dampen enthusiasm, etc.).
殺そぐUsage13%
Alternate kanji, less common; can appear in literary or older texts.

Etymology

The kanji 削 is associated with cutting or shaving; the metaphorical sense likely developed from the idea of paring away something abstract. The alternate kanji 殺 (kill) may have been used for its reductive nuance, but the exact historical derivation is uncertain.