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ことごとく Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
adverb
all ; every single one ; without exception
usually written using kana alone
Emphasizes that every item or case in a group is affected, often with a nuance of 'every last one' or 'all, without exception'. Used in both neutral and emphatic contexts.
試し 験けん 問もん 題だい は ことごとく 難むずか しかっ た 。
All of the exam questions were difficult.
Written forms ことごとく Usage 80%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 悉く and 尽く are rare and literary.
悉ことごと く Usage 16%
Rare kanji spelling; mainly found in older or formal writing.
尽ことごと く Usage 4%
Rare kanji spelling; mainly found in older or formal writing.
Kanji 悉 all, entirely, altogether 尽 exhaust, use up, run out of Similar words すべて すべて is the general word for 'all' or 'everything'. ことごとく is more emphatic and often implies 'every single one without exception', and is less common in casual speech.
みんな みんな is a casual, everyday word for 'all' or 'everyone'. ことごとく is more formal and emphatic, and is not used for people.
Etymology Derived from the classical Japanese adjective 異 (こと, 'different') reduplicated and combined with 如く (ごとく, 'like'), originally meaning 'in various ways' or 'each and every one'. The modern sense of 'all without exception' developed from this.
