へこみ

noun

dent; depression; setback

informalcolloquialappearance

1. dent; hollow; depression

A sunken or indented area on a surface, typically caused by impact or pressure.

車(くるま)にへこみがある。

There's a dent in the car.

缶(かん)のへこみが気(き)になる。

The dent in the can bothers me.

ドアに小(ちい)さなへこみを見(み)つけて修理(しゅうり)に出(だ)すことにした。

I found a small dent on the door and decided to have it repaired.

2. slump; setback; feeling down

A figurative drop in spirits, performance, or condition.

最近(さいきん)ちょっとへこみがある。

I've been feeling a bit down lately.

試験(しけん)に落(お)ちてへこみが大(おお)きい。

The blow of failing the exam hit me hard.

売(う)り上(あ)げのへこみが続(つづ)いていて、対策(たいさく)を考(かんが)えなければならない。

The slump in sales is continuing, and we need to think of countermeasures.

The noun form of the verb へこむ (to dent, to become depressed). Can be written in kanji as 凹(へこ)み, but the hiragana form is more common in everyday use.

Common collocations

へこみを直(なお)す: to fix a dent
小(ちい)さなへこみ: small dent
へこみが大(おお)きい: a big setback; feeling very down
売(う)り上(あ)げのへこみ: sales slump

Similar words

凹凸(おうとつ): unevenness, bumps and hollows — describes the overall surface texture
くぼみ: hollow, depression — a naturally formed indentation rather than one caused by impact
へこむ: the verb form — to dent, to feel discouraged

Related Words

Compare: 凹凸(おうとつ) (unevenness, bumps and hollows)

general

Added 2026.4.27 0:13 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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