すさまじい

すさまじい
i-adjective
terrific; tremendous; fierce; awful
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentすさまじいすさまじくない
Pastすさまじかったすさまじくなかった
て formすさまじくてすさまじくなくて
Adverbialすさまじく
Conditional ばすさまじければすさまじくなければ
Conditional たらすさまじかったらすさまじくなかったら
1. terrific; tremendous; fierce; awful; intense
Extremely intense, severe, or violent; exceeding normal limits in a way that inspires awe or fear.
すさまじい(いきお)いだった。
It had tremendous force.
すさまじい競争(きょうそう)()(ひろ)げられた。
A fierce competition unfolded.
爆発(ばくはつ)のすさまじさに言葉(ことば)(うしな)った。
I was speechless at the ferocity of the explosion.

すさまじい describes something so extreme or intense that it inspires awe, fear, or disbelief. It carries a stronger and more literary tone than すごい.

FORMS:

  • すさまじく (adverbial): すさまじく(はや)い (terrifyingly fast)
  • すさまじさ (noun form): 爆発(ばくはつ)のすさまじさ (the ferocity of the explosion)

KANJI:
Can be written as (すさ)まじい, though hiragana is more common in modern usage.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • すさまじい(いきお)い: tremendous force/momentum
  • すさまじい競争(きょうそう): fierce competition
  • すさまじい(おと): tremendous noise
  • すさまじい破壊力(はかいりょく): devastating destructive power

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • すごい: amazing, terrible (more casual, wider range of use)
  • (はげ)しい: intense, violent (often for weather, emotions, movement)
  • 猛烈(もうれつ): fierce, furious (more formal, often in writing)