ichidan verb, transitive verb
take to the limit; pursue to the utmost; reach the end of
Used with objects such as a skill, way, field, or path to mean carrying it as far as it can go. In many contexts this can imply mastery, but the core idea is reaching the utmost limit.
彼は一生をかけてその道を極めた。
He spent his life pursuing that path to its utmost.
職人は一つの技を極
A craftsperson trains for years until they have taken a single skill to its limit.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
reach a peak; be extremely; be at the height of
Often used in the pattern noun + を極める, where the noun names a state such as luxury, busyness, hardship, or confusion. Although grammatically transitive, it often translates naturally as 'be extremely ...' in English.
年末の部署は多忙を極めた。
The department was extremely busy at the end of the year.
豪華を極めた宮殿が観光客を集めている。
The palace, lavish to the extreme, is attracting tourists.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
exhaust completely; use every possible word; leave nothing unsaid
Only when written 極める
Limited use, especially in expressions like 口を極めて褒める or 口を極めて非難する, meaning to praise or criticize in the strongest possible terms. Restricted this sense to the spelling 極める.
評論家はその映画を口を極めて非難した。
The critic denounced the film in the strongest possible terms.
先生は彼女の研究を口を極めて褒めた。
The professor praised her research with every possible word of approval.