いたずらに
Meanings
1
uselessly; in vain; pointlessly
usually written using kana alone
Describes an action that yields no meaningful result; often used in formal or literary contexts. Can imply idleness or futility.
I ended up spending time pointlessly.
Let's stop fighting in vain.
Usage patterns
- いたずらに〈時間〉を過ごすto spend (time) fruitlessly
He spent his time uselessly and accomplished nothing.
- いたずらに〈動詞〉to (do something) pointlessly or without effect
No matter how much they argued pointlessly, no conclusion was reached.
- いたずらに〈事〉を恐れるto fear (something) needlessly
Rather than fearing the future needlessly, let's do what we can now.