とっくに・疾っくにtokkuni

1. adverblong ago; a long time ago; already
   もうとっくに寝ねる時間じかんだ。↗

   It is high time we went to bed.

• SynonymすでにNeutralNeutral and objective: 「すでに終わった」 simply states that something is already done, without stressing, as 「とっくに」 does, that it happened long ago.
• SynonymもうNeutralThe most common colloquial choice: 「もう帰った」 says someone has already left, without stressing how long ago, unlike 「とっくに」.
• SynonymとうにWrittenA written-register word with the same meaning as 「とっくに」, long since, but with a somewhat old-fashioned ring.
• Synonymずっと前にずっとまえにNeutralA plain phrase meaning 'a long time ago': 「ずっと前に聞いた」 focuses purely on how distant in time something was.
• RelatedもはやNeutralCovers 'by now, no longer': 「もはや昔の話だ」「もはや手遅れ」 speak of how things stand now; 「とっくに」 stresses it happened long ago.
• Related早くもはやくもNeutralMeans 'earlier than expected': 「早くも桜が咲いた」 highlights that something came soon; 「とっくに」 says it was long since.
• AntonymまだNeutralThe direct opposite: 「まだ」 means 'still, not yet', for something that has not happened, where 「とっくに」 says it already has.

Use 「とっくに」 to stress that something happened long ago, as in 「彼はとっくに帰った」; it is common in speech. For a neutral 'already' pick 「もう」 or 「すでに」, for 'by now' 「もはや」, for earlier than expected 「早くも」. The opposite is 「まだ」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. すでに。以前いぜんに。つとに。とくに。