Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
荒廃 (こうはい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
ruin ; devastation ; decay
Describes the state of being ruined, devastated, or fallen into decay, often for land, buildings, or abstract systems. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'become ruined'.
置ち
で
建たて
物もの
は
荒こう
廃はい
し
て
いる
。
The building has fallen into ruin after years of neglect.
Kanji 廃 abolish, obsolete, cessation Similar words 破は 壊かい 破壊 focuses on the act of destroying something, while 荒廃 emphasizes the resulting state of ruin or decay.
荒あ れる 荒れる is a more common, everyday verb for 'to become rough/stormy/neglected', while 荒廃 is a formal noun/verb for large-scale ruin.
Etymology Compound of 荒 (rough, wild) and 廃 (abandon, disuse). The combination conveys the idea of something becoming wild and abandoned, leading to ruin.