凹む

• Reading: へこむ
• Romaji: hekomu
• Kanji breakdown: 凹 (heko): concave, dented, sunken
• Pronunciation: /he.ko.mɯ/

Meaning

To feel depressed, down, or dejected — like an emotional dent has been put in you.

The kanji 凹 literally means 'concave' or 'dented,' and the slang perfectly captures the feeling of being emotionally dented or crushed. It is stronger than 萎える (deflated) but lighter than clinical depression. 凹む is the go-to casual word for feeling down after a failure, rejection, or bad news. It implies a temporary state that one will eventually bounce back from.

Examples

1. 試験に落ちてかなり凹んでる。 I failed the exam and I'm pretty down about it.
2. 彼氏に振られて一週間凹んでた。 I got dumped by my boyfriend and was down in the dumps for a week.
3. 些細なことで凹むタイプだから気にしないで。 I'm the type who gets down over little things, so don't worry about it.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, texting, casual conversation

Tone: dejected, down, self-pitying

Do Say

• ちょっと凹んでるから優しくして。 (I'm a bit down so be nice to me.)
• 凹むことあっても時間が解決するよ。 (Even when you feel down, time will fix it.)

Don't Say

• 深刻な精神的問題を「凹んでる」と軽く言わない (Don't casually say 'hekon deru' about someone with serious mental health issues — it trivializes the condition)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing 凹む with its physical meaning (to dent a surface) in casual conversation — context usually makes the emotional meaning clear
• Using 凹む for fleeting annoyance — it implies a deeper, more lasting down feeling than 萎える

Origin & History

From the verb 凹む (hekomu, to become dented/concave). The physical image of a surface being pushed inward became a metaphor for emotional deflation. The slang usage has been common since the 1990s.

Cultural Context

Era: 1990s slang usage, older physical meaning

Generation: All ages in casual speech

Social background: Universal informal

Regional notes: Used across Japan. The kanji 凹 visually resembles a dent, making it a satisfyingly literal metaphor.