ぬけぬけ
Meanings
adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle
brazenly; shamelessly; audaciously
Describes saying or doing something bold and unapologetic, often with a negative connotation of lacking shame. Commonly used with 言う or する.
He told a lie brazenly.
That person shamelessly makes unreasonable requests.
alternating wins and losses (sumo)
Sumo term for a wrestler's record of alternating wins and losses every other day. Not used in general contexts.
That wrestler has an alternating win-loss record this tournament.
adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle
stupidly; cluelessly
Archaic adverbial use meaning to act in a foolish or unaware manner. Not used in modern Japanese.
In old texts, 'ぬけぬけと' can describe a foolish or clueless manner.
nari-adjective (archaic / formal)
slipping away secretly; sneaking out
Archaic adjectival use (nari-adjective) meaning to sneak away or slip out unnoticed. Obsolete in modern Japanese.
In classical Japanese, 'ぬけぬけなり' was used to mean slipping away secretly.
Usage patterns
- ぬけぬけと〈事〉を言うto say something brazenly, without any shame
He lied, and yet he brazenly refuses to admit it.
- ぬけぬけと〈動詞〉to do something audaciously, without shame
He broke his promise but showed up as if nothing had happened.