引(ひ)き潮(しお)

ひきしお
noun
ebb tide; low tide
1. ebb tide; receding tide
The outgoing or falling tide, when the water level is dropping.
引(ひ)き潮(しお)で岩場(いわば)が現(あらわ)れた。
The rocky area appeared as the tide went out.
引(ひ)き潮(しお)の時(とき)に貝(かい)を拾(ひろ)う。
Collect shellfish when the tide is out.
引(ひ)き潮(しお)の時間帯(じかんたい)に潮干狩(しおひが)りに出(で)かけた。
We went clamming during low tide.
2. waning; decline
Used figuratively to describe something losing momentum or declining from a peak.
ブームも引(ひ)き潮(しお)になってきた。
The boom is starting to wane.
一時(いちじ)は大(おお)きな盛(も)り上(あ)がりを見(み)せたが、今(いま)は引(ひ)き潮(しお)のように静(しず)かになった。
There was a great surge of excitement for a while, but now things have quieted down like an ebb tide.
選挙(せんきょ)の後(あと)、支持(しじ)は引(ひ)き潮(しお)のように減(へ)っていった。
After the election, support ebbed away like a receding tide.

COMPOSITION: 引(ひ)く (to pull, recede) + 潮(しお) (tide).

TIDE VOCABULARY:

  • 満潮(まんちょう)/満(み)ち潮(しお): high tide
  • 干潮(かんちょう)/引(ひ)き潮(しお): low tide/ebb tide
  • 上(あ)げ潮(しお): rising tide
  • 下(さ)げ潮(しお): falling tide
  • 潮(しお)の満(み)ち引(ひ)き: tidal movement

FIGURATIVE USE:

  • Describes decline from a peak
  • Loss of momentum
  • Waning enthusiasm or popularity
  • Ebb and flow of fortune

RELATED EXPRESSIONS:

  • 潮(しお)が引(ひ)く: the tide goes out
  • 潮(しお)が満(み)ちる: the tide comes in
  • 潮(しお)の流(なが)れ: tidal current
  • 潮干狩(しおひが)り: clamming at low tide

SEASONAL WORD (季語(きご)): Used as a spring seasonal word in haiku (specifically 潮干(しおひ)).

Related Words

Antonym: 満(み)ち潮(しお) (high tide)
Synonym: 干潮(かんちょう) (low tide (Sino-Japanese))
general
Added 2026.1.19 8:54 · Revised 2026.4.19 13:14
07000/07148_hikishio