1.
to be dejected, to be disappointed, to look crestfallen
Literally "to drop one's shoulders." Describes the body language of someone who is disappointed, discouraged, or dispirited, with their shoulders sagging.
彼は肩を落として帰った。
He went home looking dejected.
試合に負けて、選手たちは肩を落としていた。
Having lost the game, the players looked crestfallen.
不合格の知らせを受けて肩を落としたが、すぐに気持ちを切り替えて次の試験に向けて勉強を始めた。
She was dejected upon hearing she had failed, but quickly switched gears and began studying for the next exam.
A vivid physical metaphor: when people are disappointed, their shoulders literally droop. This expression captures both the physical posture and the emotional state. Very commonly used in narrative and descriptive writing.
USAGE:
Often used with the て-form + いる to describe an ongoing state: 肩を落としている (looking dejected). Also commonly used in the て-form as a connective: 肩を落として歩く (to walk dejectedly).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- がっくり肩を落とす: to slump one's shoulders dejectedly
- 肩を落として帰る: to go home looking dejected
- 肩を落として歩く: to walk with drooping shoulders
SIMILAR WORDS:
- がっかりする: to be disappointed — the most common general word for disappointment
- 落胆する: to be discouraged, to be disheartened — more formal
- うなだれる: to hang one's head — another physical expression of dejection, focusing on the head drooping