まんざら
Meanings
1
not altogether; not entirely; not completely
usually written using kana alone
Used in negative contexts to mean 'not completely' or 'not necessarily'. Often followed by ～でもない, ～悪くない, or similar negative expressions to soften a statement.
I think his proposal isn't altogether bad.
It's a story that's not entirely a lie.
Usage patterns
- まんざら〈形容詞〉くないnot entirely [adjective] (softening a negative judgment)
His idea isn't entirely bad, actually.
- まんざら〈事〉ではないようだit doesn't seem to be entirely [something] (hedged assessment)
It seems she isn't entirely uninterested either.
Expressions
- まんざらでもないnot all bad; fairly pleasing; not as bad as one might think