萎える

• 読み: なえる
• ローマ字: naeru
• 漢字の分解: 萎 (i/na) — wilt, droop, wither
• 発音: /na.e.ɾɯ/

意味

To wilt; to wither; to lose energy or vitality; to become limp or feeble. Used both for plants and for human motivation, spirit, or limbs.

A Group 2 (ichidan) verb. 萎える describes a gradual loss of strength or vitality, whether in a physical or psychological sense. A plant wilts under heat; a person's motivation wilts after repeated failures; a limb becomes weak through illness. The word often appears in expressions like 気力が萎える (one's spirit wilts) or 足が萎える (one's legs give out). It conveys a sense of deflation rather than sudden collapse.

例文

1. 厳しい批判を受け続けて、挑戦する気力がすっかり萎えてしまった。
2. 長期入院で足の筋肉が萎えてしまい、リハビリに数ヶ月かかった。
3. 猛暑の中で水やりを怠ったせいで、せっかくの草花がみるみる萎えていった。

使い方ガイド

場面: psychology, health, daily life, nature

トーン: negative

起源と歴史

The kanji 萎 combines 艹 (grass radical) and 委 (entrust/droop), evoking the image of grass drooping down. This pictographic origin directly captures the physical act of wilting, and the meaning extended to describe any loss of vigour or vitality.

文化的背景

時代: Contemporary

世代: All ages

社会的背景: General