無双(むそう)

むそう
noun, na-adjective
peerless; unrivaled; unmatched
evaluation
1. peerless; unrivaled; unmatched
Having no equal; so strong or skilled that no one compares. A literary word in set phrases such as 天下無双(てんかむそう), it has become common in casual speech for someone dominating effortlessly, a use that spread from the video game series of that name.
彼(かれ)は天下無双(てんかむそう)の剣士(けんし)だ。
He is a swordsman without equal under heaven.
今日(きょう)の試合(しあい)は彼女(かのじょ)の無双(むそう)だった。
Today's match was a one-woman show; nobody could stop her.
昔(むかし)は国士無双(こくしむそう)と呼(よ)ばれた武将(ぶしょう)も、年(とし)には勝(か)てなかった。
Even the general once called the greatest warrior in the land could not beat old age.

From 無(む) (no, none) + 双(そう) (pair, equal): literally 'having no match'.

Common expressions

  • 天下無双(てんかむそう): unrivaled in the whole world
  • 国士無双(こくしむそう): the greatest person in the country; also a hand in mahjong
  • 無双(むそう)する: (slang) to dominate, to beat everyone single-handedly

Register

The set phrases are literary and appear in historical fiction. The slang use (無双(むそう)する, ～無双(むそう)) is casual and common among young people and in online writing.

Watch out

夢想(むそう) (daydream, fantasy) has the same reading.

general
Added 2026.10.19 21:50 · Revised 2026.10.19 21:53
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