〜極めて: 'Extremely' in Formal Japanese (Meaning + Examples)
Pushing a description to its highest degree
極めて sits directly before the word it intensifies — an い-adjective, a な-adjective, or occasionally a verb — and signals a formal, emphatic "extremely." It's a staple of news reports, academic writing, and formal speeches.
彼女は行儀が極めて上品である。
かのじょは ぎょうぎが きわめて じょうひんである。
Her manners are extremely refined.
極めて + な-adjective (上品) + である, a formal copula.
やったんの記憶力は極めて優れていて、モチの誕生日を一度も忘れたことがない。
やったんの きおくりょくは きわめて すぐれていて、もちの たんじょうびを いちども わすれた ことが ない。
Yattan's memory is extremely good, and he has never once forgotten Mochi's birthday.
Original example: 極めて before a verb-derived adjective (優れている).
この地域では地震が起きる可能性が極めて高い。
この ちいきでは じしんが おきる かのうせいが きわめて たかい。
In this area, the possibility of an earthquake occurring is extremely high.
Form: 極めて + い-adjective / な-adjective / verb phrase
極めて is invariable — it never conjugates — and simply attaches before whatever it's intensifying.
| Modifies | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| い-adjective | 極めて + い-adj | 極めて難しい = extremely difficult |
| な-adjective | 極めて + な-adj (+ だ/である) | 極めて重要だ = extremely important |
| Verb phrase | 極めて + Verb | 極めて異例なことが起きた = something extremely unusual happened |
みんな口を極めて彼女を褒めちぎった。
みんな くちを きわめて かのじょを ほめちぎった。
Everyone praised her to the highest degree, in the strongest possible terms.
Set phrase 口を極めて, 'in the most extreme terms.'
極めて vs とても/非常に
とても is everyday, spoken "very." 非常に is one notch more formal and works fine in both speech and writing. 極めて sits at the very top of that ladder — reserve it for formal writing, news, and academic contexts, since using it in casual conversation about small everyday things (極めておいしい for a snack) sounds oddly stiff.
The short version
- 極めて = "extremely / exceedingly," a formal intensifier.
- Attaches to: い-adjectives, な-adjectives, and some verb phrases, directly before them.
- Nuance/register: formal, written; the top of the とても → 非常に → 極めて politeness/formality ladder.
- Don't confuse with: とても, its everyday, spoken equivalent.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 極めて to intensify an adjective or verb formally.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
彼女は行儀が＿＿＿上品である。
Where 〜極めて fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜において · N2 — 〜において is the formal, written equivalent of で/に, marking a location, time, or field of activity: 現代において ('in modern times'). Learn the pattern plus its adnominal form における.
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜くらいなら — 〜くらいなら means 'rather than (do something bad), I'd prefer...' — it frames an option as so undesirable that almost any alternative, even a bad one, beats it. Often paired with ましだ or だったら.
- 〜にあって — 〜にあって is a formal, literary expression meaning 'in / at / under (a certain situation),' used to frame a difficult, unusual, or noteworthy circumstance before describing how someone acts within it.
- 〜にひきかえ — 〜にひきかえ means 'in (marked) contrast to,' pairing two people or things whose situations are strikingly opposite — often with a hint of comparison or mild judgment favoring one side.
- 〜に至るまで — 〜に至るまで attaches to a noun and means 'all the way to / even down to,' stressing that a range is exhaustive: 細部に至るまで ('down to the smallest detail'). Often paired with から for A〜に至るまで.
- 〜に至っては — 〜に至っては means 'as for / when it comes to,' picking out one item — usually the most extreme, worst, or most striking example — from a group already being discussed: この街に至っては深刻だ ('as for this city, it's serious').
- 〜にまつわる — 〜にまつわる attaches to a noun and modifies a following noun, meaning 'related to / associated with,' almost always for stories, legends, episodes, or history tied to a person or place: 神社にまつわる伝説 ('a legend associated with the shrine').