斜ななめならず

also: なのめならず

な

め

な

ら

ず

Meanings

expression

unusually; extraordinarily; remarkably

A somewhat literary or formal fixed expression meaning 'not just a little' or 'to an unusual degree'. Often used with verbs like 驚く, 感心する, or adjectives describing a notable quality.

彼かれの演えん奏そうは斜ななめならず素す晴ばらしかった。
His performance was extraordinarily wonderful.
その知しらせを聞きいて、斜ななめならず驚おどろいた。
Hearing the news, I was unusually surprised.

Kanji

斜diagonal, slanting, oblique

Related words

並なみ々なみならぬ
並々ならぬ is a more common expression with a similar meaning of 'extraordinary' or 'uncommon', but 斜めならず is rarer and more literary.
非ひ常じょうに
非常に is a standard neutral adverb for 'very' or 'extremely', while 斜めならず carries a more formal, emphatic, and slightly archaic tone.

Written forms

斜めならず
- ななめならず
  Standard kanji-kana spelling for this fixed expression.
- なのめならず
  out-dated reading
なのめならず
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana usage; this reading is out-dated.

Etymology

Literally 'not slanting' or 'not half-hearted', from 斜め (slant, half-hearted) + ならず (classical negative of なる). The expression developed the meaning 'not ordinary' or 'extraordinary'.