手当たり次第
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Meanings
1
using anything at hand; haphazardly; indiscriminately
Describes doing something with whatever is available, without careful selection or planning. Often implies a rushed or desperate situation. The phrase is adverbial and typically modifies a verb.
He read any book he could get his hands on.
In the fire, people grabbed whatever they could and fled.
She applied for jobs indiscriminately.
Usage patterns
- 手当たり次第に〈動詞〉to do something with whatever happens to be at hand, without choosing
He got angry and threw whatever was within reach at the wall.
- 〈物〉を手当たり次第に集めるto gather things indiscriminately, taking whatever comes to hand
Before moving, I stuffed whatever was in the house into boxes without sorting.
- 手当たり次第に本を読むto read books indiscriminately, whatever one happens to pick up
During exam prep, I read whatever books I could get my hands on at the library.