サゲる

• Reading: サゲる
• Romaji: sageru
• Pronunciation: /sa.ɡe.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To bring down the mood or kill the vibe — describes something or someone that deflates the atmosphere.

The opposite of アガる, written in katakana to mark it as slang distinct from standard 下げる (sageru, to lower). サゲる describes the act of bringing down the mood, energy, or vibe. It can refer to a person who ruins the fun, a comment that kills the atmosphere, or a situation that deflates excitement. Often used as a criticism of someone's behaviour at social gatherings.

Examples

1. せっかく盛り上がってたのにあの発言でサゲられた。 We were all having a good time and then that comment totally killed the vibe.
2. 空気をサゲるようなことは言わないでよ。 Don't say stuff that brings down the mood.
3. あの人いるとテンションサゲるんだよね。 When that person is around, it just kills the vibe.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social gatherings, social media

Tone: critical, disappointed, annoyed

Do Say

• その話、みんなのテンションサゲるからやめて。 (Stop with that topic, you're killing everyone's vibe.)
• 雨降ってきてサゲるわ〜。 (It started raining — what a mood killer.)

Don't Say

• 直接「お前サゲるな」と言うのはきつすぎる (Saying 'omae sageru na' directly to someone is too harsh — it is more commonly said about someone, not to their face)

Common Mistakes

• Using サゲる in kanji (下げる) when meaning the slang version — the katakana spelling distinguishes the mood/vibe meaning from the literal 'to lower' meaning

Origin & History

From the verb 下げる (sageru, to lower/bring down), written in katakana to indicate slang usage referring to emotional or atmospheric lowering. Emerged as the natural counterpart to アガる in 2000s-2010s youth slang.

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s-2010s, counterpart to アガる

Generation: 10s-30s

Social background: Youth casual speech

Regional notes: Used across Japan. Less common than アガる but well understood as its direct opposite. Often used in party or group social contexts.