懸 命(けんめい)

けんめい

na-adjective

strenuous, desperate, eager

1. desperate, strenuous, with all one's might

Putting maximum effort into something; trying one's hardest.

I work hard to support my family.

He studied with all his might.

The strenuous efforts paid off.

The children were swimming as hard as they could.

I shouted with all my might to cheer for the team.

懸命(けんめい) on its own is somewhat written (懸命(けんめい)に働(はたら)く, 懸命(けんめい)な努力(どりょく)). In speech it appears mostly inside 一生懸命(いっしょうけんめい), the everyday way to say "as hard as one can".

一生懸命(いっしょうけんめい) was originally 一所懸命(いっしょけんめい): a samurai staking his life on one piece of land.

必死(ひっし) - desperate, frantic; stresses that something must not fail, often with a sense of panic.
熱心(ねっしん) - eager, keen; about interest and enthusiasm rather than strain.

Related Words

core

Added 2026.1.13 21:17 · Revised 2026.10.5 3:59

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