Japanese word

極めて

Pronunciation

Romajikiwamete

Meaning

  • adverbextremely

Example

今日は極めて暑いです。kyō wa kiwa me te atsu i de su

It is extremely hot today.

Illustration for 極めて (extremely)

More examples

この問題は極めて重要です。ko no mon dai wa kiwa me te jū yō de su

This problem is extremely important.

Core concept

Places something at the far end of a scale, showing a degree beyond what is usual.

Common phrases

  • 極めて重要なkiwa me te jū yō na

    extremely important

  • 極めて暑いkiwa me te atsu i

    extremely hot

Similar words

とてもtotemo: It expresses a high degree in a neutral and widely used way.
すごくsugoku: It expresses a high degree in relaxed conversation.
非常にhijōni: It expresses a high degree in formal or written language.
大変taihen: It expresses a high degree in polite statements.

Definition in Japanese

程度がこの上なく高いさま。tei do ga ko no ue na ku taka i sa ma

Word origin

極めて (kiwamete) is the adverbial form of 極める (kiwameru, "to carry to the utmost"), whose sense of reaching the limit gives it the meaning "extremely."

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, とても (totemo) is more common, while 極めて (kiwamete) often sounds formal and appears in careful speech or writing.

Word lists with this word