The kanji 滅 primarily conveys the idea of destruction, ruin, extinction, or eradication. It implies a complete ending or the cessation of something, often through violence, natural processes, or decay. This can apply to physical objects, concepts, or even entire civilizations. It carries a strong sense of finality and loss.

・On-yomi (音読み): メツ (metsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ほろ-びる (horo-biru - to be destroyed, perish); ほろ-ぼす (horo-bosu - to destroy, ruin)

⚫︎ 滅亡 (metsubou) Translation: destruction, collapse, ruin ⚫︎ 絶滅 (zetsumetsu) Translation: extinction ⚫︎ 全滅 (zenmetsu) Translation: annihilation, total destruction

The kanji 滅 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. The phonetic component is 戌 (in this context, it is pronounced as mets and represents a related sound), which is an old character depicting a tool used to dig or destroy things. The semantic component is 水 (mizu - water) or 氵 (the water radical). The combination suggests destruction caused by water, perhaps flooding or washing away. Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass destruction in general. The addition of the water radical is thought to have influenced the sound and the association with the concept of elimination or erasing something.