1.
extremely; excessively; to an extreme degree
Indicates that something is at a level far beyond what is normal, reasonable, or expected. Often carries a negative nuance, suggesting that the degree is unbalanced or unhealthy, though it can also be used neutrally to emphasize extreme values or behavior.
極端に少ない。
Extremely few.
The adverbial form of the na-adjective 極端 (extreme), formed by adding に. Describes an action, state, or change that goes well beyond normal limits.
Usage
- Often implies imbalance or undesirability — something has swung too far in one direction.
- Commonly modifies verbs describing change (減る, 増える, 変わる) and adjectives describing quantity or quality (少ない, 多い, 高い, 低い).
- Can be softened with 少し to 少し極端に ("a bit extremely"), though 極端すぎる (too extreme) is more natural for criticism.
Common collocations
- 極端に少ない: extremely few
- 極端に走る: to go to extremes
- 極端に変わる: to change drastically
- 極端に嫌う: to hate intensely
- 極端な例: an extreme example
Similar words
- 非常に: extremely — neutral, broadly applicable, no implication of imbalance
- とても: very — everyday speech, weaker than 極端に
- ものすごく: tremendously — colloquial, emphasizes large degree without the "off-balance" nuance
- やたらと: excessively / indiscriminately — similar negative nuance but suggests lack of reason or restraint