低迷（ていめい、teimeい）
- slump

The Japanese word 低迷 (ていめい) generally means stagnation, sluggishness, or a state of being in the doldrums. It describes a situation where something is not progressing or is performing poorly. It can apply to various contexts, such as the economy, a person's performance, or a company's sales. It implies a lack of upward movement or improvement. The 低迷 can also suggest a feeling of being stuck or trapped.

⚫︎ 経済が低迷している。 Translation: The economy is stagnant. ⚫︎ 売上が低迷し、会社は苦戦している。 Translation: Sales are sluggish, and the company is struggling. ⚫︎ 最近、成績が低迷している。 Translation: My grades have been poor recently.

You can use 低迷 to describe a situation that is not improving or is experiencing a decline. You would typically use it when discussing: ⚫︎ Economic downturns or slow growth. ⚫︎ Poor performance in sports, academics, or work. ⚫︎ Declining popularity or interest. ⚫︎ A general feeling of being stuck or in a slump. It's a more formal and nuanced word than saying something is just "bad." It implies a longer-term problem rather than a temporary setback.

⚫︎ The word 低迷 is typically written in kanji: 低迷. ⚫︎ The reading (pronunciation) is ていめい (teimei). ⚫︎ There are no common alternative ways of writing this word. ⚫︎ The okurigana (送りがな, the hiragana attached to kanji) is always 迷.

⚫︎ 不振 (ふしん) - depression, slump, setback ⚫︎ 停滞 (ていたい) - stagnation, standstill ⚫︎ 低調 (ていちょう) - sluggishness, low key ⚫︎ 下降 (かこう) - decline, descent ⚫︎ 不況 (ふきょう) - recession (specifically for economics)

⚫︎ 好調 (こうちょう) - favorable, doing well ⚫︎ 上昇 (じょうしょう) - rise, increase ⚫︎ 活況 (かっきょう) - booming, lively (specifically for economics) ⚫︎ 回復 (かいふく) - recovery ⚫︎ 成長 (せいちょう) - growth

株価が長期間にわたり低迷を続けている。 ・Translation: Stock prices have been stagnating for a long period. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a long-term economic downturn affecting stock prices, indicating a situation where the prices are not improving.

チームは今シーズン、成績が低迷しており、ファンは失望している。 ・Translation: The team's performance has been poor this season, and the fans are disappointed. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the team's results are bad and that fans are sad.

⚫︎ 低 (tei) means "low" or "under." ⚫︎ 迷 (mei) means "to be lost" or "to be confused." ⚫︎ The word's construction suggests a state of being "low" or "stuck" due to being "lost" or "confused," and thus unable to progress. The combination accurately reflects the meaning of stagnation or sluggishness.