致命傷

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 致命傷, read ちめいしょう, means a wound severe enough to be fatal.
• Basic usage: It describes both a literal wound and a crippling blow to something such as a plan.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A literal wound
  • In the example, 致命傷を負った means suffered a fatal wound.
• A figurative blow
  • 計画にとって致命傷となった says that something became a crippling blow to the plan.
  • にとって marks what the impact is being assessed in relation to.