まっしぐら

ま

っ

し

ぐ

ら

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb

at full speed; headlong; impetuously

usually written using kana alone

Describes moving or acting straight ahead with great speed and determination, often in a single-minded way. Typically used as まっしぐらに.

しん

入にゅう

社しゃ

員いん

は

出しゅっ

世せ

街かい

道どう

を

まっしぐら

に

進すす

ん

で

いる

。

The new employee is advancing at full speed on the path to success.

まっしぐらUsage93%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
驀地まっしぐらUsage5%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the characters are not in common use.
真まっしぐらUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 真; not commonly used.
驀まっしぐらUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.

一いっ直ちょく線せん
一直線 emphasizes a straight line or directness, while まっしぐら adds a sense of unstoppable momentum and speed.
突とっ進しん
突進 is a noun/suru-verb meaning 'rush' or 'charge,' focusing on the action of dashing forward, whereas まっしぐら is an adverb describing the manner of moving swiftly and directly.

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to まっすぐ (straight) with an emphatic or mimetic element, but the exact derivation is unclear.