矢やも盾たてもたまらず

や

も

た

て

も

た

ま

ら

ず

Meanings

1

expression

unable to stay still; unable to contain one's feelings; unable to restrain oneself

Idiomatic expression describing a state of being so overwhelmed by emotion or impulse that one cannot hold back or remain calm. Often used when someone is bursting with excitement, anger, or impatience.

嬉うれしさのあまり矢やも盾たてもたまらず飛とび出だした。

So overjoyed that I couldn't contain myself and rushed out.

彼かれは怒いかりで矢やも盾たてもたまらず、机つくえを叩たたいた。

He was so angry he couldn't restrain himself and banged the desk.

Kanji

矢dart, arrow
盾shield, escutcheon, pretext
堪withstand, endure, support

Related words

居いても立たってもいられない
Similar meaning of being unable to stay still due to strong emotion, but 矢も盾もたまらず is more literary and less common in everyday speech.
たまらない
The adjective たまらない means 'unbearable' or 'irresistible', and is the root of たまらず in this phrase. 矢も盾もたまらず is a fixed idiomatic expression.

Built from

矢や+盾たて

Written forms

矢やも盾たてもたまらず
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling. The kanji 矢 (arrow) and 盾 (shield) are used, but the phrase is often written with kana for the verb part.
矢やも盾たても堪たまらず
Alternate spelling using the kanji 堪 for 'bear/endure'. Less common but seen in some contexts.

Etymology

The expression pictures an impulse so strong that even arrows and shields cannot stop or restrain the person moved by it.