Meaning & usage
この上ない expresses the highest possible degree, meaning nothing could surpass it. It is used for strong praise or intense feeling, such as extreme happiness, kindness, or importance. The adverbial form この上なく comes before adjectives and verbs, as in この上なく優しい, while この上ない follows nouns, often in the pattern adjective stem + ことこの上ない. It is formal and literary, so it pairs poorly with casual or negative everyday adjectives.
Example sentences 5
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彼はこの上なく優しい人です。
He is as gentle a person as ever lived.
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彼女はこの上なく幸せだった。
She was as happy as could be.
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私はそれを聞いてこの上なくうれしい。
I am supremely glad to hear it.
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これはこの上なく重要な事柄である。
This is a matter of the utmost importance.
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お天気はこの上なくすばらしい。
The weather is as nice as nice can be.
