Grammar › N1 · 08 Extremes and impossibility

〜の極み: the height of; extreme

N1 · 08 Extremes and impossibility

Describes something at the highest possible level of a feeling or situation.

Noun + の極み: 感激の極み, 痛恨の極み, 贅沢の極み. Very formal, speeches and writing. Can be positive or negative. Compare 〜極まる, which attaches to adjectives.

Examples

憧あこがれの先生せんせいにお会あいできて、感激かんげきの極きわみです。

Being able to meet my admired teacher fills me with the utmost emotion.

決勝戦けっしょうせんであんなミスをするとは、痛恨つうこんの極きわみだ。

To make such a mistake in the final is the height of regret.