1.
to vanish, to disappear
Describes something disappearing or ceasing to exist. Often used for abstract things like feelings, motivation, or interest fading away.
やる気が失せた。
I lost my motivation.
彼女の態度を見て、食欲が失せた。
Seeing her attitude, I lost my appetite.
あまりにも長い会議で、集中力が完全に失せてしまった。
The meeting was so long that I completely lost my ability to concentrate.
2.
to get lost, to go away (rude command)
Used in the imperative form 失せろ as a harsh way to tell someone to leave. Strongly rude and confrontational.
失せろ！
Get lost!
「二度と俺の前に現れるな、失せろ」と怒鳴った。
He shouted, "Don't ever appear before me again, get lost!"
邪魔だ、さっさと失せろと言わんばかりの顔をされた。
He gave me a look as if to say, "You're in the way, get lost now."
失せる is an intransitive verb with two distinct uses.
SENSE 1 — VANISHING:
Used when feelings, qualities, or abstract things disappear. Commonly paired with:
- やる気が失せる (lose motivation)
- 食欲が失せる (lose one's appetite)
- 興味が失せる (lose interest)
SENSE 2 — RUDE IMPERATIVE:
The command form 失せろ is a very harsh way to tell someone to go away. It appears frequently in fiction, manga, and arguments but should be avoided in real-life situations.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 消える: neutral term for vanishing or disappearing (physical or abstract)
- 失せる: more literary or emphatic for abstract things; also has the rude imperative use