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攻勢をかける (こうせいをかける) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, ichidan verb
go on the offensive ; step up one's efforts
Used when someone shifts from a passive or defensive stance to actively pushing forward, whether in sports, business, debate, or personal endeavors. The second gloss 'step up one's efforts' is a figurative extension of the military metaphor.
て
、
積せっ
極きょく
的てき
に
プロジェクト
を
引ひ
き
受う
け
た
。
He stepped up his efforts for a promotion and actively took on projects.
Written forms 攻こう 勢せい をかける
Standard spelling using かける in kana; the most common written form.
攻こう 勢せい を 掛か ける
Alternate spelling using the kanji 掛ける; less common but still encountered.
Kanji 攻 aggression, attack, criticize 勢 forces, energy, military strength Similar words 攻せ める 攻める is a general verb meaning 'to attack' or 'to invade', while 攻勢をかける specifically means to shift into an offensive mode or intensify one's proactive efforts.
勢いきお い 勢い means 'momentum' or 'force'; 攻勢 combines 攻 (attack) and 勢 (force) to mean 'offensive momentum'.
Etymology Compound of 攻勢 (こうせい, 'offensive') + を + かける ('to put on, to apply'). The phrase literally means 'to apply an offensive', i.e., to go on the offensive. The figurative sense of stepping up efforts derives from the military metaphor.
