1.
peerless; unmatched; unparalleled; incomparable
Having no equal or rival. Used to emphasize that something or someone is in a class of their own, with nothing comparable.
My grandfather was an incomparable sake lover and drank nihonshu every night.
Used almost exclusively in the pattern 無類の + noun to mean "an unparalleled (something)." The most common usage by far is 無類の〜好き, describing someone who is an extreme enthusiast of something.
Common collocations
- 無類の酒好き: an incomparable sake lover
- 無類の読書好き: an unparalleled book lover
- 無類の強さ: unmatched strength
- 無類の美しさ: incomparable beauty
Similar words
- 無比: unequaled — very similar meaning, slightly more literary
- 比類ない: without peer — more formal, often in written prose
- 唯一無二: one and only — emphasizes uniqueness rather than superiority
- 天下無双: peerless under heaven — dramatic, used in historical or literary contexts
Forms
無 (without) + 類 (category, kind) — literally "without category," meaning nothing of the same kind exists.