Japanese word

凹む

Pronunciation

Romajihekomu

Meaning

  • verbfeel down

Example

悪い点を取ると凹みます。waru i ten o to ru to heko mi ma su

I feel down when I get a bad grade.

Illustration for 凹む (feel down)

More examples

楽しみにしていた旅行が中止になって、かなり凹みました。tano shi mi ni shi te i ta ryo kō ga chū shi ni na tte ka na ri heko mi ma shi ta

I felt pretty down when the trip I was looking forward to was canceled.

Core concept

The word describes something sinking inward, from a surface becoming dented to a person's spirits dropping after a setback.

Common phrases

  • かなり凹むka na ri heko mu

    feel pretty down

  • すごく凹むsu go ku heko mu

    feel really down

Similar words

落ち込むochikomu: To become discouraged and feel emotionally low after something goes wrong.
しょげるshogeru: To look dispirited and less lively because of disappointment.
めげるmegeru: To lose heart when facing difficulty, failure, or criticism.

Definition in Japanese

物の表面が内側にくぼむ。また、失敗や悪い知らせなどで気持ちが沈む。mono no hyō men ga uchi gawa ni ku bo mu ma ta ship pai ya waru i shi ra se na do de ki mo chi ga shizu mu

Word origin

凹む (hekomu, "to cave in") is a native Japanese verb, but historical evidence does not establish a reliable breakdown of its form; the kanji 凹 (ō, "concave") reflects its physical sense.

Usage tips

  • In casual speech, めっちゃ (meccha, "really") often intensifies 凹む (hekomu), making めっちゃ凹む (meccha hekomu) a natural phrase for feeling especially low.

Other meanings

  • be dentedverb

Related words

  • 凹みhekomidiscouragementnoun

Word lists with this word