墓穴(ぼけつ)

ぼけつ
noun
grave; one's own undoing
1. grave; burial pit
A hole dug in the ground for burying a coffin or remains.
墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)る作業(さぎょう)が始(はじ)まった。
The work of digging the grave began.
深(ふか)い墓穴(ぼけつ)に棺(ひつぎ)が下(お)ろされた。
The coffin was lowered into the deep grave.
雨(あめ)の中(なか)、墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)り終(お)えるまで何時間(なんじかん)もかかった。
It took hours to finish digging the grave in the rain.
2. one's own undoing; self-inflicted ruin
Used figuratively in the expression 墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)る (to dig one's own grave), meaning to cause one's own downfall through careless actions or words.
余計(よけい)なことを言(い)って墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)った。
I dug my own grave by saying something unnecessary.
嘘(うそ)をついて墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)るな。
Don't dig your own grave by lying.
弁明(べんめい)しようとして、かえって墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)ってしまった。
In trying to justify myself, I ended up digging my own grave.

Usage

The figurative sense (sense 2) is much more common in everyday speech than the literal sense. The expression 墓穴(ぼけつ)を掘(ほ)る (to dig one's own grave) is a set phrase used when someone's own words or actions lead to their downfall.

Common collocations

Related words

Related Words

Related: 自滅(じめつ) (self-destruction)
Related: 墓地(ぼち) (cemetery)
general
Added 2026.3.6 22:43 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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