犠牲(ぎせい)

ぎせい
noun
sacrifice; victim
1. sacrifice; giving something up
The act of giving up something valuable for a greater purpose or for someone else's benefit.
家族(かぞく)のために自分(じぶん)を犠牲(ぎせい)にした。
She sacrificed herself for her family.
仕事(しごと)のために健康(けんこう)を犠牲(ぎせい)にするべきではない。
You shouldn't sacrifice your health for work.
多(おお)くの犠牲(ぎせい)を払(はら)って、ようやく平和(へいわ)が訪(おとず)れた。
After paying a great sacrifice, peace finally came.
2. victim; casualty
A person who suffers harm or death as a result of a disaster, accident, crime, or war.
地震(じしん)で多(おお)くの犠牲者(ぎせいしゃ)が出(で)た。
There were many victims in the earthquake.
事故(じこ)の犠牲(ぎせい)になった方々(かたがた)に哀悼(あいとう)の意(い)を表(ひょう)します。
We express our condolences to those who fell victim to the accident.
戦争(せんそう)で罪(つみ)のない市民(しみん)が犠牲(ぎせい)になった。
Innocent civilians became victims of the war.

SENSE 1 (sacrifice):
Used with を犠牲(ぎせい)にする (to sacrifice something) and 犠牲(ぎせい)を払(はら)う (to pay a sacrifice).

SENSE 2 (victim):
Used with 犠牲(ぎせい)になる (to become a victim) and 犠牲者(ぎせいしゃ) (victim/casualty).

Common collocations

In baseball, 犠牲(ぎせい)フライ (sacrifice fly) and 犠牲(ぎせい)バント (sacrifice bunt) use this word in its sports sense.

Related Words

Related: 自己犠牲(じこぎせい) (self-sacrifice)
Compare: 代償(だいしょう) (compensation, price to pay)
Compare: 身代(みが)わり (substitute)
Related: 餌食(えじき) (prey)
Compare: 代価(だいか) (price)
general
Added 2026.3.3 18:53 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
14500/14743_gisei