1.
incessantly; without pause; nonstop
Describes something that continues without any break or interruption. Used for repeated actions or a continuous stream of events, people, or things.
An adverb meaning without interruption or cessation. Almost always used with the particle に as ひっきりなしに. Describes a stream of events, visitors, calls, or other repeated occurrences that never lets up.
Common collocations
- ひっきりなしに鳴る: to ring nonstop
- ひっきりなしに来る: to come without pause
- ひっきりなしに続く: to continue without a break
- ひっきりなしに話す: to talk incessantly
Similar words
- 絶え間なく: ceaselessly — more literary, can describe both discrete and continuous events
- ずっと: continuously — broader usage, simply means "the whole time"
- 休みなく: without rest — emphasizes the lack of breaks rather than the frequency of occurrence
Etymology
From 引っ切り (one after another) + なし (without end). The original meaning of 引っ切り refers to things following one another in rapid succession.