とめどなく

と

め

ど

な

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Describes something continuing without stopping, often used for flowing water, tears, or talk.

涙なみだが止とめどなく流ながれるtears flow endlessly
彼かの女じょの目めから涙なみだが止とめどなく流ながれた。
Tears streamed endlessly from her eyes.
止とめどなく話はなすto talk on and on without stopping
彼かれは自じ分ぶんの旅りょ行こうの話はなしを止とめどなく話はなし続つづけた。
He kept talking endlessly about his trip.
止とめどなく水みずが湧わき出でるwater gushes out ceaselessly
岩いわの間あいだから止とめどなく水みずが湧わき出でていた。
Water was gushing out ceaselessly from between the rocks.

絶たえ間まなくN1
絶え間なく emphasizes there are no gaps or pauses in an action, while 止めどなく stresses that a flow (of tears, words, water) cannot be stopped.
際さい限げんなく
際限なく focuses on the lack of a limit or endpoint, whereas 止めどなく focuses on an unstoppable, continuous flow.
果はてしなくN1
果てしなく describes something vast or without a visible end (like a landscape or ambition), while 止めどなく is used for things like tears or talk that keep flowing without stopping.

From 止めど (a stopping point) + なく (adverbial form of ない), literally 'without a stopping point'. The exact historical derivation of 止めど is uncertain.