荒廃

Ruin, decay, or devastation.

Readings

Other forms

荒廃する suru verb

Noun, Suru verb

Ruin / Decay / Devastation

Refers to the deterioration of land, structures, or social morals into a rough, wasted state due to neglect.

Good to know

荒廃（こうはい） means ruin, decay, or desolation. It is a fairly formal word, often used when something has fallen apart through neglect, abandonment, or long-term decline.

Do not confuse it with 破壊（はかい）, which means destruction and often suggests a direct or sudden act. 荒廃 focuses more on the condition after things have been left to deteriorate.

Common uses include damaged or neglected places, such as 都市の荒廃（としのこうはい） “urban decay” or 農地の荒廃（のうちのこうはい） “farmland deterioration.”

It can also describe abstract decline, especially in formal writing: 人心の荒廃（じんしんのこうはい） for moral or social corruption, and 風紀の荒廃（ふうきのこうはい） for the breakdown of discipline or public morals.

Example

その国では、教育制度の荒廃が深刻な問題となっている。

In that country, the decay of the educational system has become a serious problem.

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VOCAB 2 / 30

荒廃

こうはい

Ruin, decay, or devastation.

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