まっしぐら

ま

っ

し

ぐ

ら

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

at full speed; headlong; impetuously

usually written using kana alone

Describes moving or acting straight ahead with great speed and determination, often in a single-minded way. Typically used as まっしぐらに.

に

走はし

っ

た

。

He ran headlong toward the goal.

新しん入にゅう社しゃ員いんは出しゅっ世せ街かい道どうをまっしぐらに進すすんでいる。

The new employee is advancing at full speed on the path to success.

〈場ば所しょ〉にまっしぐらto head straight for a place at full speed
犬いぬは公こう園えんにまっしぐらに走はしっていった。
The dog ran headlong toward the park.
〈事こと〉にまっしぐらto charge single-mindedly toward a goal or achievement
彼かれは優ゆう勝しょうにまっしぐらに突つき進すすんだ。
He charged straight ahead toward the championship.
〈場ば所しょ〉に向むかってまっしぐらto rush directly toward a place or destination
彼かの女じょはゴールに向むかってまっしぐらに走はしった。
She ran straight toward the finish line.

一いっ直ちょく線せん
一直線 emphasizes moving in a perfectly straight line, while 真っしぐら adds a sense of unstoppable momentum and speed toward a goal.
突とっ進しん
突進 is a noun/する-verb meaning 'to charge forward,' focusing on the action itself, whereas 真っしぐら is an adverb describing the headlong manner of doing something.
一いち目もく散さん
一目散 stresses fleeing or running away without looking back, while 真っしぐら can describe rushing toward something as well as away from it.

まっしぐらUsage93%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
驀地まっしぐらUsage5%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the characters are not in common use.
真まっしぐらUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 真; not commonly used.

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to まっすぐ (straight) with an emphatic or mimetic element, but the exact derivation is unclear.

驀まっしぐ

ら

Usage1%

search-only kanji form

Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.