抜く【ぬく】

The verb ぬく抜く (ぬく) has a literal meaning of "to pull out / to extract," but when attached to the stem of another verb as a compound verb suffix, it takes on two major grammatical meanings:

1. Doing something completely / through to the end

V[stem] + 抜く expresses the idea of carrying an action through to completion, often despite difficulty or hardship. It emphasizes perseverance and determination – doing something all the way through without giving up.

This usage often appears in past tense (〜～ぬいた抜いた) because it describes having completed something difficult. It carries a strong sense of accomplishment and effort.

2. Doing something thoroughly / to the extreme

V[stem] + 抜く can also mean doing something thoroughly, completely, or to an extreme degree. Rather than emphasizing perseverance, this usage emphasizes the thoroughness or intensity of the action.

Key nuances

• The "through to the end" meaning often pairs with verbs of effort or endurance: はしる走る, たたかう戦う, たえる耐える, いきる生きる, やる
• The "thoroughly" meaning often pairs with cognitive or emotional verbs: かんがえる考える, しる知る, なやむ悩む, こまる困る
• Compare with 〜～きる, which also means "to do completely." While ～きる simply states completion, ～抜く adds the nuance of effort, difficulty, or overcoming challenges to reach that completion.
• The form conjugates as a godan verb: 抜かない, 抜きます, 抜いた, etc.