あっけない

あ

っ

け

な

い

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

あっけない · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	あっけない	あっけなくない
Polite	あっけないです	あっけなくないですalso あっけなくありません
Past polite	あっけなかったです	あっけなくなかったですalso あっけなくありませんでした
Past	あっけなかった	あっけなくなかった
Te-form	あっけなくて	あっけなくなくて
Adverbial	あっけなく
Conditional	あっけなければ	あっけなくなければ
Tara conditional	あっけなかったら	あっけなくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

unsatisfying; disappointing; over too soon

usually written using kana alone

Describes something that ends too quickly or easily, leaving a feeling of disappointment or lack of fulfillment. Often used for events, endings, or outcomes that feel anticlimactic.

試し合あいはあっけなく終おわってしまった。
The match ended disappointingly quickly.
彼かれの反はん応のうがあっけなくて驚おどろいた。
I was surprised by how underwhelming his reaction was.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

あっけなく〈動どう詞し〉to (do something) all too quickly/easily, in an anticlimactic way
試し合あいはあっけなく終おわった。
The match ended all too quickly, without much of a fight.
あっけない幕まく切ぎれan anticlimactic ending/conclusion
長ながい戦せん争そうはあっけない幕まく切ぎれを迎むかえた。
The long war came to a surprisingly anticlimactic end.
あっけないほど〈形けい容よう詞し〉disappointingly/surprisingly (easy, simple, etc.)
問もん題だいはあっけないほど簡かん単たんだった。
The problem was so easy it was almost disappointing.

Kanji

呆be amazed, disgusted, shocked
気spirit, mind, air

Related words

物もの足たりないN2
物足りない describes a vague sense that something is insufficient or lacking, while あっけない specifically points to an ending or event that felt too quick or too easy to be satisfying.
拍ひょう子し抜ぬけ
拍子抜け is the noun/suru-verb for the deflated feeling when something turns out much easier than expected, whereas あっけない is the adjective describing the event itself as too brief or anticlimactic.

Don't confuse with

呆あきれるN2
呆れる (to be dumbfounded or exasperated at someone's behavior) shares the kanji 呆 with あっけない but describes a completely different feeling of shock, not the disappointment of something ending too quickly.
あっけN1
あっけない is the i-adjective meaning 'anticlimactic' or 'over too quickly', while 呆気 is the noun naming the state of being dumbfounded, chiefly seen in 呆気にとられる.

Written forms

あっけないUsage82%
Usually written in kana. The kanji form 呆気ない is ateji and rarely used.
呆あっ気けないUsage18%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling; learners should prefer the kana form.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 呆ける (あける, to be amazed or dumbfounded) with the adverbial suffix ない, originally meaning 'not amazing' or 'unimpressive'. The kanji 呆気 is ateji.