後 塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)する

こうじんをはいする

expression

to fall behind; to be outdone by

1. to fall behind someone; to be outperformed; to be left in the dust

An idiomatic expression meaning to be surpassed or outpaced by someone. Literally means "to bow to someone's trailing dust" — the image of following behind someone's carriage and being covered in their dust.

ライバル企業(きぎょう)の後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)する。

To fall behind the rival company.

技術(ぎじゅつ)開発(かいはつ)で他国(たこく)の後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)している。

We are lagging behind other countries in technological development.

この分野(ぶんや)では長年(ながねん)後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)してきたが、ようやく追(お)いついてきた。

We had been trailing behind for years in this field, but we have finally caught up.

Literally "to bow to (someone's) trailing dust." The image comes from ancient China, where a person of lower rank would follow behind a dignitary's carriage and be covered in the dust it raised. By extension, it means to be inferior to or behind someone.

Common patterns

～の後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)する — to fall behind ~

Common collocations

ライバルの後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)する: to fall behind a rival
他社(たしゃ)の後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)する: to lag behind other companies
後塵(こうじん)を拝(はい)し続(つづ)ける: to continue trailing behind

Similar words

遅(おく)れを取(と)る: to fall behind — more common and less literary
水(みず)を開(あ)けられる: to have a gap opened up — used when the distance between competitors widens
引(ひ)けを取(と)らない: to be no less than — the positive counterpart: not falling behind

Related Words

Compare: 先(さき)を越(こ)される (to be beaten to it)

general

Added 2026.4.8 4:16 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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