Kanji

Jōyō kanji, Taught in junior high

JLPT level: N1

1222 of 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Stroke count: 13

Meaning: destroy, ruin, overthrow, perish

Kunyomi: ほろ.びる ほろ.ぶ ほろ.ぼす

Onyomi: メツ

Composition:

Radical

Radical:

Meaning: water

Examples

Onyomi Examples

メツボウ downfall, ruin, collapse, destruction

メツザイ expiation

インメツ destruction (esp. of evidence), spoliation, suppression, hiding, concealment

スイメツ decline, downfall, ruin(ation)

Kunyomi Examples

びる ほろびる to go to ruin, to go under, to fall, to be destroyed, to die out, to become extinct, to perish

ほろぶ to be ruined, to go under, to perish, to be destroyed

ぼす ほろぼす to destroy, to overthrow, to wreck, to ruin