1.
decline, fall from power
The process of declining from a position of power, prosperity, or prominence.
帝国の凋落が始まった。
The decline of the empire has begun.
名門の凋落を目の当たりにした。
I witnessed the fall of a distinguished family.
かつての大企業が凋落していく様は悲しいものがある。
It's sad to see a once-great corporation decline.
A literary word often used to describe the decline of institutions, families, or influential figures.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 凋落する (to decline, to fall)
- 凋落の一途をたどる (to continue declining)
- 名門の凋落 (fall of a distinguished family)
ETYMOLOGY:
The character 凋 means to wither or fade, originally referring to flowers. The word evokes the image of something once beautiful or powerful fading away.
RELATED TERMS:
- 衰退: decline, decay
- 没落: ruin, downfall
- 零落: decline, downfall