(むるい)

むるい
noun
peerless; unmatched; unparalleled
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.
(かれ)無類(むるい)読書(どくしょ)()きだ。
He is an unparalleled lover of reading.
無類(むるい)(つよ)さを(ほこ)るチームだ。
A team that boasts unmatched strength.
祖父(そふ)無類(むるい)(さけ)()きで、毎晩(まいばん)日本酒(にほんしゅ)()んでいた。
My grandfather was an incomparable sake lover and drank nihonshu every night.
この地域(ちいき)無類(むるい)(うつく)しさを()自然(しぜん)(めぐ)まれている。
This region is blessed with nature of incomparable beauty.

Used almost exclusively in the pattern 無類(むるい)の + noun to mean "an unparalleled (something)." The most common usage by far is 無類(むるい)の〜()き, describing someone who is an extreme enthusiast of something.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 無類(むるい)(さけ)()き: an incomparable sake lover
  • 無類(むるい)読書(どくしょ)()き: an unparalleled book lover
  • 無類(むるい)(つよ)さ: unmatched strength
  • 無類(むるい)(うつく)しさ: incomparable beauty

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 無比(むひ): unequaled — very similar meaning, slightly more literary
  • 比類(ひるい)ない: without peer — more formal, often in written prose
  • 唯一(ゆいいつ)無二(むに): one and only — emphasizes uniqueness rather than superiority
  • 天下(てんか)無双(むそう): peerless under heaven — dramatic, used in historical or literary contexts

FORMATION:
() (without) + (るい) (category, kind) — literally "without category," meaning nothing of the same kind exists.