JLPT N1 grammar
〜をものともせず(に) — Meaning & Examples
"Undaunted by X" — pushing forward despite a serious obstacle. 悪天候をものともせず、試合を続けた. Admiring register.
〜をものともせず(に) — "Undaunted by X"
をものともせず(に) describes pushing forward despite a serious obstacle — treating the difficulty as if it were nothing.
Pattern: [noun] + をものともせず(に)
彼は周囲の反対をものともせず、計画を進めた。
= Undaunted by opposition all around him, he pushed forward with the plan.
選手たちは悪天候をものともせず、試合を続けた。
= The players continued the match, undaunted by the terrible weather.
彼女は病気をものともせず、仕事を続けた。
= She kept working, undaunted by her illness.
Register: Admiring, often used in profiles of athletes, pioneers, and determined figures — a compliment about resilience.
Key feeling: A hero shrugging off a storm — the obstacle is real and serious, but it simply doesn't slow them down.
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on 〜をものともせず(に). Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 「彼は周囲の反対をものともせず、計画を進めた。」 means?
- He gave up due to opposition
- He never faced any opposition
- Undaunted by opposition around him, he pushed forward with the plan
- He agreed with the opposition
Show answer
Answer: Undaunted by opposition around him, he pushed forward with the plan
をものともせず(に) = undaunted by X — pushing forward despite a real, serious obstacle.
2. 「選手たちは悪天候をものともせず、試合を続けた。」 tone is best described as?
- Critical and disapproving
- Neutral and factual only
- Admiring — resilience despite a real obstacle
- Mocking
Show answer
Answer: Admiring — resilience despite a real obstacle
をものともせず typically carries an admiring register — praising someone for pushing through a genuine difficulty.
3. 「努力することなしに、成功は望めない。」 uses which construction?
- なしに alone with a noun
- をものともせず
- ならいざしらず
- ことなしに after a verb dictionary form
Show answer
Answer: ことなしに after a verb dictionary form
〜ことなしに attaches なしに to a verb via こと — "without doing X" — a construction なくして doesn't take as naturally.
Practise 〜をものともせず(に) in the free app
This point is part of the “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N1 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N1 grammar points
From the same lesson: Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜をものともせず(に) mean?
"Undaunted by X" — pushing forward despite a serious obstacle. 悪天候をものともせず、試合を続けた. Admiring register.
Is 〜をものともせず(に) on the JLPT N1 test?
〜をものともせず(に) is taught in the JLPT N1 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜をものともせず(に)?
Open the “Without, Let Alone & Undaunted — なしに(は)・をものともせず・はおろか・ならいざしらず” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N1 mock exams, with no ads.