godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
be dented; be indented; sink in; cave in
Intransitive physical use: a surface, structure, or part of something becomes pushed inward, lower, or collapsed. Use が for the thing that dents or caves in.
車のドアが少し凹んでいる。
The car door is slightly dented.
大雨で地面が凹
The ground sank in because of the heavy rain.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
be overwhelmed; be cowed; give in; give up
Figurative use for being beaten down or made to yield by pressure, force, or an opponent. It overlaps with the emotional sense, but focuses more on being overwhelmed or giving way.
相手の迫力に凹んで、何も言い返せなかった。
I was overwhelmed by the other person's forcefulness and couldn't say anything back.
一度断られたくらいでは凹まない。
I won't give up just because I was turned down once.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
feel down; be disheartened; feel depressed
Colloquial emotional use for feeling discouraged, deflated, or depressed after something unpleasant. The kana spelling へこむ and mixed spelling ヘコむ are common in this casual tone.
See also: ヘコむ
面接に落ちて、かなりへこんだ。
I felt really down after failing the interview.
友達にきついことを言われてヘコんでいる。
I'm feeling hurt after a friend said something harsh to me.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
suffer a loss; lose money; be down
Used for taking a monetary or numerical loss, often in casual contexts such as gambling, investment, or accounts. The amount lost may be marked with で or appear directly with the context.
株で十万円へこんだ。
I lost one hundred thousand yen on stocks.
昨日の勝負でだいぶ凹んだ。
I took quite a loss in yesterday's game.