気(き)を抜(ぬ)く

きをぬく

expression

to let one's guard down; to relax one's attention

1. to let one's guard down; to relax one's attention; to lose focus

To stop paying careful attention or to become careless, often at a moment when vigilance is still needed. Usually carries a warning nuance — relaxing too soon can lead to mistakes or problems.

まだ気(き)を抜(ぬ)くな。

Don't let your guard down yet.

試合(しあい)の途中(とちゅう)で気(き)を抜(ぬ)いたら逆転(ぎゃくてん)された。

I let my guard down during the match and they came from behind to win.

最後(さいご)まで気(き)を抜(ぬ)かずに頑張(がんば)ろう。

Let's stay focused and do our best until the very end.

運転中(うんてんちゅう)は一瞬(いっしゅん)でも気(き)を抜(ぬ)くと事故(じこ)につながる。

When driving, even a moment of lost focus can lead to an accident.

Literally 'to pull out one's spirit/energy.' The image is of deflating or releasing the tension that keeps one alert. Most commonly used in negative or cautionary contexts: 気(き)を抜(ぬ)くな (don't let your guard down), 気(き)を抜(ぬ)かずに (without letting one's guard down).

Common collocations

気(き)を抜(ぬ)くな: don't let your guard down
気(き)を抜(ぬ)かずに: without losing focus
一瞬(いっしゅん)でも気(き)を抜(ぬ)く: to lose focus even for an instant
ちょっと気(き)を抜(ぬ)いた隙(すき)に: in the moment one relaxed

Similar words

油断(ゆだん)する: to be careless, let one's guard down — similar meaning but more about overall negligence; often used as a noun
気(き)を緩(ゆる)める: to relax one's guard — very similar; slightly softer nuance
手(て)を抜(ぬ)く: to cut corners, slack off — different meaning; refers to doing work carelessly or incompletely

Related Words

Compare: 油断(ゆだん)する (to be careless, let one's guard down)

Compare: 手(て)を抜(ぬ)く (to cut corners, slack off)

Compare: 油断大敵(ゆだんたいてき) (carelessness is one's greatest enemy)

general

Added 2026.5.6 21:21 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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