潰つぶす

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

crush; smash; flatten

Physical sense: to press, strike, or damage something so that it loses its original shape or is flattened.

• 空あき缶かんを足あしで潰つぶした。

  I crushed the empty can with my foot.

• 豆まめを潰つぶしてペーストにする。

  Mash the beans and make them into a paste.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

shut down; put out of business; drive to closure

Used of making a shop, company, or organization fail or close. It can imply mismanagement, pressure from outside, or being forced out of business.

• 大おお型がた店てんの進しん出しゅつで、小ちいさな商しょう店てんが次つぎ々つぎと潰つぶされた。

  With the arrival of big stores, small shops were driven out of business one after another.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

wreck; ruin; block; thwart

Figurative use for ruining a plan, negotiation, chance, face, or other intangible thing so that it no longer works or goes forward.

• 彼かれの一ひと言ことが交こう渉しょうを潰つぶした。

  His one remark ruined the negotiations.

• 反はん対たい派ははその計けい画かくを潰つぶそうとした。

  The opposition tried to block the plan.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

slaughter; butcher; kill livestock for food

Direct term for killing an animal, especially livestock or poultry, for food; it can sound blunt outside practical or rural contexts.

• 昔むかしは家いえで鶏にわとりを潰つぶして食たべることもあった。

  In the past, people sometimes slaughtered chickens at home and ate them.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

kill time; while away time; use up time

Common in the set pattern 時間を潰す, meaning to spend time until something else happens.

• 映えい画がまで時じ間かんがあるので、喫きっ茶さ店てんで時じ間かんを潰つぶした。

  Since there was time before the movie, I killed time at a café.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

waste; stifle; ruin potential

Used with things such as 才能, 個性, or 可能性, meaning to waste, suppress, or ruin someone's ability or potential.

• 子こどもの才さい能のうを潰つぶしてはいけない。

  You must not stifle a child's talent.