興ざめ

• Reading: きょうざめ
• Romaji: kyozame
• Kanji breakdown: 興 (kyou/kou) — excitement, interest, mood; ざめ — cooling, fading (from 冷める, to cool off)
• Pronunciation: /kjoː.za.me/

Meaning

Anticlimax; mood-killer; something that abruptly deflates enthusiasm or spoils the atmosphere. Can describe both an event and the resulting feeling of deflation.

A noun and na-adjective (興ざめな) formed from 興 (excitement, lively interest) and ざめ (cooling/fading, from 冷める). Describes an event, person, or revelation that suddenly collapses a positive mood. Used as a standalone exclamation (興ざめだ!) or attributively (興ざめな結末). Very expressive and widely used in everyday conversation and reviews.

Examples

1. 楽しい食事の最中に電話が鳴り、すっかり興ざめしてしまった。 A phone rang in the middle of our lovely meal, and the mood was completely ruined.
2. 映画の結末があっけなさすぎて、興ざめな気分で帰宅した。 The film's ending was so anticlimactic that I went home feeling deflated.
3. 盛り上がっているパーティーで水を差すような発言は、興ざめになる。 A remark that pours cold water on a lively party is a guaranteed mood-killer.

Usage Guide

Context: entertainment, social, everyday language

Tone: disappointed

Origin & History

Compound of 興 (excitement, lively mood) and ざめ (from 冷める, to cool/lose enthusiasm). Literally the 'cooling of excitement' — the antithesis of 興奮 (excitement, thrill). Expresses the precise moment enthusiasm evaporates.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal