駄目元(だめもと)

だめもと
noun
nothing to lose; worth a try
informalexpression
1. nothing to lose; might as well try
The attitude of attempting something with the expectation that failure is the baseline — if it fails, you're no worse off, and if it succeeds, it's a bonus. Short for 駄目(だめ)で元々(もともと) (failure is the starting point).
駄目元(だめもと)で応募(おうぼ)してみた。
I applied just to give it a shot.
駄目元(だめもと)で聞(き)いてみたら、OKだった。
I asked just on the off chance, and they said yes.
受(う)かるかどうかわからないけど、駄目元(だめもと)で挑戦(ちょうせん)してみる価値(かち)はある。
I don't know if I'll pass, but it's worth giving it a try with nothing to lose.

駄目元(だめもと) is a colloquial abbreviation of 駄目(だめ)で元々(もともと) ("failure is the starting point"). The idea is that since the default outcome is failure, there is no downside to trying.

Common patterns

  • 駄目元(だめもと)で～する (to do something with nothing to lose)
  • 駄目元(だめもと)で～してみる (to try something with the attitude of nothing to lose)

Common collocations

This expression is very common in casual speech and conveys a positive, low-pressure attitude toward challenges.

general
Added 2026.3.4 14:25 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
14500/14881_damemoto