ぬかりない

• Reading: ぬかりない
• Romaji: nukarinai
• Pronunciation: /nɯ.ka.ɾi.na.i/

Meaning

Vigilant; thorough; leaving nothing to chance. Describes someone who makes no mistakes and takes care of every detail without oversight.

An i-adjective formed from ぬかり (negligence, oversight, lapse) + ない (lacking). Also written as 抜かりない. The adverbial form ぬかりなく is very common: ぬかりなく準備する (to prepare without missing anything). A person described as ぬかりない is meticulous and reliable — someone who never leaves gaps in their work or defences.

Examples

1. 彼女はぬかりなく証拠を集め、完璧な報告書を仕上げた。 She thoroughly gathered evidence and produced a flawless report.
2. 試験前の準備はぬかりなく行い、自信を持って本番に臨んだ。 I prepared for the exam meticulously, leaving nothing to chance, and faced the test with confidence.
3. ぬかりない作戦を立てることで、チームは競合他社を退けた。 By devising a vigilant strategy, the team was able to beat out their competitors.

Usage Guide

Context: business, military/strategy, everyday speech

Tone: determined

Origin & History

From ぬかる (to make a careless mistake) → ぬかり (a lapse/slip) + ない (not). Also written 抜かりない, using 抜 (to miss or omit) to convey leaving something out.

Cultural Context

Era: Pre-modern–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal