1.
the farthest reaches; the ends of the earth; the most remote place
The most distant, remote point of a region or territory. Often carries a poetic or dramatic tone.
世界の最果てを目指す。
I aim for the ends of the earth.
ここは日本の最果ての地だ。
This is the most remote place in Japan.
北海道の最果てにある灯台を訪ねて、地の果てに来たという実感がわいた。
When I visited the lighthouse at the northernmost tip of Hokkaido, I truly felt like I had come to the edge of the world.
最果て combines 最 (most, utmost) with 果て (end, extremity). It has a literary, evocative quality and is often used in travel writing, poetry, and dramatic contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 世界の最果て (the ends of the earth)
- 最果ての地 (the most remote land)
- 最果ての駅 (the most remote station)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 果て: end, extremity — simpler and less dramatic
- 辺境: frontier, remote region — more factual, used in geography and history
- 僻地: remote area, backwater — can carry a negative connotation of underdevelopment