をものともせず
- 1Facing a harsh obstacle or danger (bad weather, injury, hardship) without being deterred by it.Ex. 1
- 2Pressing ahead in defiance of opposition or criticism from other people.Ex. 2
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
A written, somewhat literary expression often found in news reports, narratives, and biographies. It carries a tone of admiration for someone who overcomes a formidable obstacle such as a storm, injury, or opposition. Unlike neutral にもかかわらず, it highlights the subject's courage.
Learners should avoid using it for their own actions, since it expresses admiring evaluation of someone else's bravery.
Do not use it with minor inconveniences; the obstacle should be serious, such as danger, illness, or strong opposition.
Note that it attaches only to nouns, so verbs or adjectives must be turned into noun phrases first.
- 1.をよそにN1「をよそに」 usually follows other people's worries, hopes, or objections, or outside circumstances, and expresses remaining detached and unmoved rather than showing courage. It is often critical when describing others, but it can also describe oneself and can follow a verb + の.
- 2.も顧みず / を顧みずN1「も顧みず／を顧みず」 stresses knowingly and deliberately disregarding something serious, such as danger, opposition, or one's health. Its tone depends on context, and it can also criticize someone for being headstrong; when praising someone who disregards danger or opposition, it is interchangeable with 「をものともせず」.
- 3.もかまわずN2「もかまわず」 usually means not caring what others think, how much trouble one causes others, or how one looks. It often expresses criticism or surprise, is neutral in register, and can follow a verb + の, whereas 「をものともせず」 is formal written style and praises fearlessness in the face of obstacles, so the two are generally not interchangeable.
- 4.を押してN1「を押して」 also takes nouns such as opposition, illness, old age, or bad weather, and is often interchangeable with 「をものともせず」. However, it stresses knowingly pushing through an obstacle by sheer willpower (「病を押して」 means carrying on despite being ill) and lacks any sense of being unconcerned or fearless.
- 5.にもかかわらずN2「にもかかわらず」 is a neutral contrastive expression that can follow nouns, verbs, and adjectives; its first part is not limited to obstacles, and its second part is not limited to human actions. 「をものともせず」 attaches only to nouns and highlights the subject's courage, so replacing it with 「にもかかわらず」 loses the admiring nuance.
をものともせず praises someone who bravely overcomes an obstacle. をよそに stresses indifference to others' worries or surroundings. を顧みず means acting without regard for danger or consequences, and can be self-sacrificing or reckless. もかまわず suggests not caring, often about manners or appearances. を押して means forcing oneself through a condition such as illness. にもかかわらず is a neutral 'despite' with no evaluation.
