1.
annihilation, complete destruction, total wipeout
The complete elimination or destruction of a group. Used literally for military contexts and figuratively in everyday speech and gaming for situations where everyone or everything is wiped out.
敵の部隊が全滅した。
The enemy unit was annihilated.
パーティーが全滅してゲームオーバーになった。
The party was wiped out and it was game over.
台風で畑の作物が全滅してしまった。
The crops in the field were completely destroyed by the typhoon.
Originally a military term meaning the complete destruction of a force, but now widely used in casual speech and gaming.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 部隊が全滅する (a unit is annihilated)
- 全滅させる (wipe out completely)
- パーティーが全滅する (the party gets wiped out — gaming)
In gaming and casual speech, 全滅 is often used humorously for non-lethal situations, such as all members of a group failing a test or all items selling out.