さほど

さほど
adverb
not so much; not particularly
descriptive
1. not so much; not particularly; not to that extent
Used with a negative predicate to indicate that something does not reach the expected degree. Slightly more formal and literary than そんなに or それほど.
さほど難(むずか)しくない。
It's not particularly difficult.
今日(きょう)はさほど寒(さむ)くなかった。
It wasn't so cold today.
心配(しんぱい)していたが、実際(じっさい)にやってみるとさほど時間(じかん)はかからなかった。
I was worried, but when I actually tried it, it didn't take that much time.

Usage

Almost always used with a negative verb or adjective. The pattern is: さほど + [adjective/verb in negative form]. Without a negative, さほど sounds unnatural.

Register

Slightly more formal than そんなに or それほど. Common in writing and polite speech.

Similar words

  • それほど: not that much — the most common everyday equivalent
  • そんなに: not so much — casual
  • たいして: not particularly — similar formality level, often interchangeable
  • さして: not much — literary variant, even more formal

Related Words

Compare: それほど (not that much)
Compare: そんなに (not so much)
Compare: たいして (not particularly)
general
Added 2026.3.15 11:13 · Revised 2026.9.4 9:41
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