畳み掛ける

• Reading: たたみかける
• Romaji: tatamikakeru
• Kanji breakdown: 畳 (jou/tatami) — to fold, to pile | 掛 (ka/ka) — to hang, to apply
• Pronunciation: /ta.ta.mi.ka.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To press hard in rapid succession; to follow up relentlessly; to pile on without letting up.

A Group 2 (ichidan) compound verb from 畳む (to fold, to pile up) and 掛ける (to apply force). It describes launching a series of arguments, questions, or attacks in rapid, unrelenting succession before the opponent has time to recover. The image is of folding something repeatedly, compressing and building up pressure. Common in debate, courtroom drama, negotiation, and sport.

Examples

1. 弁護士は証人の矛盾を突いて、矢継ぎ早に質問を畳み掛けた。 The lawyer pressed the witness on their inconsistencies, firing questions in rapid succession.
2. 試合終盤、チームは相手ゴールに畳み掛け、あっという間に逆転した。 In the final stages of the match, the team pressed relentlessly on the opponent's goal and overturned the score in no time.
3. 記者会見で記者たちが大臣に畳み掛けるように質問を浴びせ、大臣は答弁に窮した。 At the press conference, reporters pelted the minister with questions one after another, leaving him struggling to respond.

Usage Guide

Context: debate, sports, interrogation, negotiation

Tone: forceful, aggressive

Origin & History

Compound of 畳む (to fold, to stack) and 掛ける (to hang, apply). The image of stacking folded layers one on top of another gives rise to the sense of piling on pressure or arguments in rapid sequence.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Present

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal