滅びる

• Reading: ほろびる
• Romaji: horobiru
• Kanji breakdown: 滅 (horo/metsu) — to perish, destroy, extinguish
• Pronunciation: /ho.ɾo.bi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To perish; to be destroyed; to die out; to become extinct; to fall to ruin. Describes the end of civilisations, species, or institutions.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Carries a dramatic, literary tone. Used for large-scale destruction — empires falling, species going extinct, cultures disappearing. Common in historical writing, fantasy narratives, and environmental discussions. The transitive counterpart is 滅ぼす.

Examples

1. かつて栄えた文明が戦争で滅びた。 A once-flourishing civilization perished in war.
2. このままでは多くの生物が滅びてしまう。 If things continue like this, many species will die out.
3. 古代ローマ帝国はなぜ滅びたのか。 Why did the ancient Roman Empire fall to ruin?

Usage Guide

Context: history, environment, literature

Tone: dramatic

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 滅 means 'to extinguish' or 'to destroy,' originally used in Buddhist texts to describe the impermanence of all things (滅, metsu).

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal