JLPT N1SpokenIndignant

にもほどがあるthat's going too far

Something has gone past what can be allowed, and you are indignant about it: "there's a limit", "that's going too far".

安あん全ぜん点てん検けんをせずに営えい業ぎょうを続つづけるなんて、無む責せき任にんにもほどがある。

Carrying on business without doing the safety checks: there's a limit to how irresponsible you can be.

人ひとの傘かさを黙だまって持もっていくなんて、ずうずうしいにもほどがある。

Walking off with someone else's umbrella without a word: what a nerve.

How to form it

Noun／adjective／verb (dictionary form) + にもほどがある

It goes straight on: 冗じょう談だんにも, 無む責せき任にんにも, ずうずうしいにも, 待またせるにも. A な-adjective takes no な.

Before it: Mostly a noun or adjective for something that comes in degrees: 冗じょう談だん (joking), 無む責せき任にん (irresponsible), ずうずうしい (brazen). A verb is one you can overdo: 待またせる (to keep someone waiting), 人ひとをばかにする (to insult someone). Often after なんて.
Tone: Indignant. You are telling someone off, or fuming about them.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, dialogue in novels and manga, online comments, opinion columns.

In use

人ひとの命いのちに関かかわることを隠かくすなんて、冗じょう談だんにもほどがある。

Hiding something that people's lives depend on is beyond a joke.

冗じょう談だんにもほどがある, "that's beyond a joke", is one of the commonest.

いくら時じ間かんがないとはいえ、説せつ明めいが雑ざつにもほどがある。

However short of time you are, there's a limit to how sloppy an explanation can be.

子こどもを夜よ中なかまで一人ひとりで待またせるにもほどがある。

Leaving a child waiting alone until the middle of the night is going much too far.

It can be praise

A newer, casual use, among friends and online: praise, said as if it were a complaint.

この子こ猫ねこ、かわいいにもほどがある。

This kitten is criminally cute.

Close neighbours

すぎるN5

A plain "too": more than is good, with no anger in it. It can be mild, as にもほどがある never is.

このコーヒーは少すこし熱あつすぎる。

This coffee is a little too hot.

極きわまりないN1

The written verdict, "utterly …": stiff where にもほどがある is spoken and heated.

この対たい応おうは不ふ誠せい実じつ極きわまりない。

This is an utterly dishonest way to respond.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

この靴くつ、私わたしには少すこし（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What is this person saying?

人ひとをばかにするにもほどがある。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

ほど is a measure, and here the proper measure. The same word is in ほどほどに, "in moderation".

Polite speech keeps the edge: ほどがあります is just as sharp.

事じ情じょうを説せつ明めいせずに契けい約やくを打うち切きるのは、一いっ方ぽう的てきにもほどがあります。

Ending the contract without explaining why is far too one-sided.

More sentences

一ひと晩ばん中じゅう工こう事じの音おとが続つづくなんて、うるさいにもほどがある。

Building noise going on all night: there's a limit to how much racket anyone should have to take.

この料りょう金きんで座ざ席せきがこんなに狭せまいなんて、窮きゅう屈くつにもほどがある。

Seats this narrow at this price: there's cramped, and then there's this.

真ま冬ふゆなのに窓まどが開あけっぱなしで、この部屋へやは寒さむいにもほどがある。

The window has been left open in the middle of winter. This room is ridiculously cold.

病びょう人にんをこんな時じ間かんまで働はたらかせるにもほどがある。

Making a sick person work until this hour is going too far.