出鼻をくじく

Japanese

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Kanji in this term

Grade: 1
はな > ばな
Grade: 3
kun'yomi
Alternative spellings
出鼻を挫く
出端をくじく
出端を挫く
出ばなをくじく
出ばなを挫く
出鼻を挫く
出端をくじく
出端を挫く

Etymology

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Compound of 出鼻 (debana, the start) +‎ +‎ 挫く (kujiku, to dampen one's spirit).

Verb

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()(ばな)をくじく (debana o kujikugodan (stem ()(ばな)をくじき (debana o kujiki), past ()(ばな)をくじいた (debana o kujiita))

  1. (idiomatic) to spoil someone's start; to kill someone's enthusiasm; to take the wind out of someone's sails
    Synonym: 出鼻を折る (debana o oru)

Conjugation

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