負まけず劣おとらず

ま

け

ず

お

と

ら

ず

Meanings

1

adverb

equally; no less than; as ... as

Adverbial use meaning that two things are equal in degree, often used in comparisons. Can be followed by a predicate or modify a verb.

彼かれは兄あにに負まけず劣おとらず優ゆう秀しゅうな学がく生せいだ。
He is an excellent student, no less than his older brother.
この店みせの料りょう

理り

は

あの

有ゆう

名めい

店てん

に

負ま

け

ず

劣おと

ら

ず

美味おい

しい

。

The food at this restaurant is just as delicious as that famous place.

2

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

evenly matched; well-matched

Attributive use with の to describe two things or people that are equally good, strong, or competitive.

両りょうチームは負まけず劣おとらずの実じつ力りょくだ。
Both teams are evenly matched in ability.

Kanji

負defeat, negative, -
劣inferiority, be inferior to, be worse

Similar words

互ご角かく
互角 is a noun/no-adjective meaning 'equal' or 'evenly matched', often used in competitive contexts. 負けず劣らず is an adverb/no-adjective emphasizing that neither side is inferior, and can be used more broadly in comparisons of quality or degree.
劣おとらず
劣らず is the negative form of 劣る (to be inferior) and can be used similarly, but 負けず劣らず is a fixed emphatic expression combining 'not losing' and 'not being inferior'.

Etymology

A set phrase combining the negative continuative forms of 負ける (to lose) and 劣る (to be inferior), literally 'without losing, without being inferior'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used as an emphatic adverbial expression since at least the Edo period.