壊滅(かいめつ)

かいめつ
noun, suru verb
destruction, annihilation, devastation
1. destruction, annihilation, devastation, collapse
Complete or near-complete destruction of a group, organization, area, or system. Implies devastation so severe that recovery is extremely difficult.
敵(てき)の軍(ぐん)は壊滅(かいめつ)した。
The enemy army was annihilated.
台風(たいふう)で農作物(のうさくもつ)が壊滅的(かいめつてき)な被害(ひがい)を受(う)けた。
The crops suffered devastating damage from the typhoon.
地震(じしん)によって町(まち)のインフラは壊滅(かいめつ)状態(じょうたい)となり、復旧(ふっきゅう)には数年(すうねん)かかると見(み)られている。
The earthquake left the town's infrastructure in a state of devastation, and recovery is expected to take several years.

USAGE:
The derived adjective 壊滅的(かいめつてき) (devastating, catastrophic) is extremely common and often more frequent than the base noun. The pattern 壊滅的(かいめつてき)な被害(ひがい) (devastating damage) is a standard news expression.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 壊滅的(かいめつてき)な被害(ひがい): devastating damage
  • 壊滅(かいめつ)状態(じょうたい): state of devastation
  • 壊滅(かいめつ)させる: to devastate, to annihilate
  • 組織(そしき)を壊滅(かいめつ)させる: annihilate an organization
  • 壊滅的(かいめつてき)な打撃(だげき): devastating blow

SIMILAR WORDS:
壊滅(かいめつ) implies near-total destruction. 破壊(はかい) (destruction) is more general and does not necessarily imply totality. 全滅(ぜんめつ) (total annihilation) is absolute — every member or element is destroyed.

general
Added 2026.2.20 13:58
12000/12103_kaimetsu