なし崩す

• 読み: なしくずす
• ローマ字: nashikuzusu
• 漢字の分解: 崩 (hō/kuzu) — crumble, collapse, break down
• 発音: /na.ɕi.kɯ.zɯ.sɯ/

意味

To do something bit by bit; to erode gradually; to whittle away at a rule, principle, or situation until it collapses.

A Group 1 (godan) verb. The core sense is of gradual, incremental erosion — as if crumbling something piece by piece until nothing remains. In modern usage it often appears as なし崩し的に (in a piecemeal, de facto manner), describing how rules, promises, or agreements are quietly abandoned in small steps rather than through open confrontation. The phrase has a negative connotation, implying a lack of principle or transparency.

例文

1. 当初の約束がなし崩しに変更されていき、最終的にはまったく別の条件になっていた。
2. 既成事実を積み重ねることで、なし崩し的に方針を転換する手法は批判を招きやすい。
3. 残業禁止のルールも例外を繰り返すうちになし崩されて、誰も守らなくなってしまった。

使い方ガイド

場面: business, politics, workplace, social commentary

トーン: negative

起源と歴史

Derived from 済し崩し (nashi-kuzushi), originally a financial term meaning to pay off a debt gradually in small instalments. The metaphor of chipping away at a debt extended to the broader sense of dismantling something incrementally without direct acknowledgement.

文化的背景

時代: Contemporary

世代: Adult

社会的背景: General