無敵(むてき)

Literally means having no (無(む)) enemy/rival (敵(てき)). Describes a state of being unbeatable or having no match.

Usage

• Can function as a noun or a na-adjective: 無敵(むてき)の強(つよ)さ or 無敵(むてき)な存在(そんざい)
• Used in sports, games, martial arts, and figuratively for anyone or anything dominant
• Very common in video game terminology — 無敵(むてき)モード (invincibility mode), 無敵(むてき)状態(じょうたい) (invincible state)
• Also used hyperbolically in casual speech: 彼女(かのじょ)の笑顔(えがお)は無敵(むてき)だ (her smile is unbeatable)

Common collocations

• 無敵(むてき)の強(つよ)さ: unbeatable strength
• 無敵(むてき)状態(じょうたい): invincible state
• 無敵(むてき)の艦隊(かんたい): invincible fleet (the Spanish Armada)
• 向(む)かうところ敵(てき)なし: having no match wherever one goes (idiomatic synonym)

Similar words

• 最強(さいきょう): the strongest — superlative rather than absolute; implies comparison
• 不敗(ふはい): undefeated — focuses on the record rather than the quality
• 天下無双(てんかむそう): peerless under heaven — a more literary/dramatic synonym