とんでもない

• Reading: とんでもない
• Romaji: tondemonai
• Pronunciation: /to.n.de.mo.na.i/

Meaning

Outrageous; unthinkable; absurd. Also used as a humble denial meaning 'not at all' or 'no way.'

An i-adjective with two distinct uses: (1) describing something shocking or beyond belief — とんでもない事件 (an outrageous incident), とんでもない値段 (an absurd price), and (2) as a polite/humble deflection of praise or thanks — とんでもないです (not at all / you are too kind). Despite appearing to be a negative form, it functions as a single fixed adjective.

Examples

1. とんでもない量の宿題が出された。 We were assigned an outrageous amount of homework.
2. 褒められてとんでもないですと答えた。 When I was praised, I replied, 'Not at all.
3. 彼はとんでもない失敗をしてしまった。 He made a terrible blunder.

Usage Guide

Context: conversation, reactions, polite deflection

Tone: emphatic

Origin & History

Originally 途でもない (todemona), meaning 'not even on the path' — far from what could be expected. Over time the pronunciation shifted to とんでもない. The kanji spelling とんでも無い is rarely used.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal