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盗人猛々しい (ぬすびとたけだけしい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
盗人猛々ぬすっとたけだけ しい also: ぬすっとたけだけしい
Meanings 1
expression, i-adjective
brazen-faced ; audacious ; shameless ; impudent
idiomatic expression
Idiomatic expression describing someone who acts boldly or defiantly despite being clearly in the wrong, like a thief who shows no remorse. Often used in the phrase 盗人猛々しいとはこのことだ.
しい
。
He's so brazen-faced, blaming others while ignoring his own mistakes.
Written forms 盗人猛々しい
盗ぬす っ 人猛々とたけだけ しい
Common variant with 盗っ人 read ぬすっと.
ぬすっとたけだけしい
Kana spelling for the ぬすっと reading; used when the kanji is avoided or for clarity.
Similar words 図ずう 々ずう しい 図々しい means 'impudent' or 'shameless' in a general sense, while 盗人猛々しい specifically implies audacity in the face of one's own wrongdoing.
厚あつ かましい 厚かましい also means 'shameless' or 'brazen', but lacks the nuance of being in the wrong; 盗人猛々しい emphasizes the contrast between guilt and boldness.
Etymology The phrase literally means 'a thief is audacious', combining 盗人 (thief) with 猛々しい (fierce, bold). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it is a set idiomatic expression.
