とことん
とことん
adverb
thoroughly, to the very end
1.
thoroughly, completely, to the bitter end
Doing something all the way through without stopping or compromising; pursuing to the extreme.
とことん話し合おう。
Let's talk it out completely.
とことん追い詰められた。
I was driven into a corner completely.
品質にはとことんこだわる。
We are thoroughly committed to quality.
とことんやってみよう。
Let's go all the way with this.
ETYMOLOGY: Possibly derived from the sound of footsteps going on endlessly ({とことこ}), with intensification.
NUANCE: Implies determination and persistence. Can be:
- Positive: thorough effort, dedication
- Negative: being pushed to extremes, cornered
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- とことん話し合う (discuss thoroughly)
- とことん追い詰める (corner completely)
- とことんこだわる (be particular about to the extreme)
- とことんやる (do thoroughly)
- とことん付き合う (see it through together)
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 徹底的に (thoroughly) - more formal
- 最後まで (until the end) - neutral
- とことんまで (to the very limit) - intensified form
REGISTER: Slightly casual, conversational. More colloquial than 徹底的に.