たくましい

た

く

ま

し

い

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

たくましい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	たくましい	たくましくない
Polite	たくましいです	たくましくないですalso たくましくありません
Past polite	たくましかったです	たくましくなかったですalso たくましくありませんでした
Past	たくましかった	たくましくなかった
Te-form	たくましくて	たくましくなくて
Adverbial	たくましく
Conditional	たくましければ	たくましくなければ
Tara conditional	たくましかったら	たくましくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

burly; sturdy; strong (physique)

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person's body or build as thick, muscular, and robust. Often used for men.

彼かれはたくましい体からだつきをしている。
He has a sturdy build.
その選せん手しゅは腕うでがたくましい。
That athlete has muscular arms.

i-adjective

indomitable; strong-willed; resolute

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person's spirit, will, or mental toughness. Implies resilience and determination.

彼かの女じょはたくましい精せい神しん力りょくで困こん難なんを乗のり越こえた。
She overcame the hardship with indomitable mental strength.
たくましい野や心しんを持もって起き業ぎょうした。
He started the business with bold ambition.

i-adjective

robust; strong (vitality, appetite, growth)

usually written using kana alone

Used for non-physical strength: robust vitality, hearty appetite, strong economic growth, etc. Often in set phrases like たくましい食欲 or たくましい成長.

子こ供どもたちはたくましい食しょく欲よくを見みせた。
The children showed a hearty appetite.
この地ち域いきの経けい済ざいはたくましい成せい長ちょうを遂とげている。
The economy of this region is achieving robust growth.

See all 33 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉はたくましい体からだをしているsomeone has a sturdy, muscular body
彼かれはたくましい体からだをしていて、荷に物もつを軽かる々がると運はこんだ。
He had a sturdy build and carried the luggage with ease.
たくましい精せい神しんan indomitable, resilient spirit
彼かの女じょはたくましい精せい神しんで困こん難なんを乗のり越こえてきた。
She has overcome hardships with an indomitable spirit.
想そう像ぞう力りょくがたくましいto have an overactive or wild imagination
彼かれは想そう像ぞう力りょくがたくましく、いつも大おおげさな話はなしを作つくる。
He has such a wild imagination that he always exaggerates stories.
たくましく育そだつto grow up strong and resilient
子こ供どもたちは自し然ぜんの中なかでたくましく育そだった。
The children grew up strong and resilient out in nature.
たくましい食しょく欲よくa hearty, robust appetite
彼かれはたくましい食しょく欲よくで三さん人にん分ぶんのご飯はんを食たべた。
He ate three servings of rice with a hearty appetite.
たくましく生いき抜ぬくto survive tenaciously through hardship
戦せん争そうの時じ代だいをたくましく生いき抜ぬいた人ひと々びとがいる。
There are people who tenaciously survived the war era.

Kanji

逞sturdy, brawny, bold

Related words· 9

頑がん丈じょうN2sense 1
頑丈 describes something built solidly and durably (often objects or physique), while 逞しい emphasizes muscular, vigorous strength, especially in a person's body or spirit.
がっしりN1sense 1
がっしり describes a solid, stocky build, while 逞しい stresses muscular, resilient strength and can extend to mental or abstract toughness.
屈くっ強きょう sense 1
屈強 is a formal word for being physically powerful and tough, close to 逞しい but used more in written or descriptive contexts.
力ちから強づよいN2sense 3
力強い means 'powerful' or 'forceful' in action, speech, or growth, while 逞しい adds a nuance of hardy, unshakable resilience.

Show 5 more

強つよいN5sense 2
強い is the general, all-purpose word for 'strong,' while 逞しい specifically conveys thick, muscular, or indomitable strength with a positive, vigorous feel.
剛ごう健けん
たくましい is a common, everyday word for physical sturdiness and resilience, whereas 剛健 is formal and often implies moral as well as physical strength.
男おとこらしいN1
男らしい covers a broad ideal of manliness including character, while たくましい focuses specifically on physical robustness or toughness.
タフN1
たくましい describes a sturdy, robust build or spirit and is often used admiringly of people's physique or resilience, while タフ is a more casual, modern loanword covering both physical and mental toughness.
しぶといN1
たくましい praises robust, strong-willed resilience with a positive tone, while しぶとい can carry a hint of stubbornness or annoyance at someone's persistence.

Opposites

弱よわ々よわしい sense 1
弱々しい describes someone as frail, weak, and fragile, the direct opposite of 逞しい's sturdy, robust strength.

Word family

たくましくする
give free rein to (imagination); let one's imagination run wild
たくましゅうする
give free rein to; let one's imagination run wild · rage with full force; be rampant

Written forms

たくましいUsage72%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 逞しい is also common but It is usually written in kana.
逞たくましいUsage28%
Kanji form; widely used and recognized.

Etymology

Derived from the verb たくましゅう (to be strong/sturdy), which itself may be related to たくま (a strong, sturdy person). The exact origin is uncertain, but the word has been used since classical Japanese.