をものともせず | Grammar

Structure

[noun] + をものともせず(に)

Description

をものともせず is a formal, literary expression meaning "making nothing of," "in defiance of," or "regardless of." It describes someone who faces a significant difficulty, obstacle, or adversity but pushes forward without being deterred by it. The expression conveys a sense of courage, determination, or resilience.

The structure is: Noun + をものともせず（に）

here refers to "something (worth worrying about)," and means "without treating it as such." Together, the phrase literally means "without treating it as anything" – i.e., disregarding it entirely.

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He competed in the match, making nothing of his injury.

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She kept pursuing her dream, undeterred by the opposition around her.

Key nuances

The noun before をものともせず is almost always something negative or challenging – hardship, danger, criticism, illness, bad weather, etc. It would be unnatural to use this with something trivial or positive.
This expression is used to describe admirable or praiseworthy actions. The subject is someone who overcomes adversity through sheer will.
It appears frequently in written language, news articles, biographies, and formal speeches. It is rarely used in casual conversation.
The form をものともせずに (with に) can also be used, functioning adverbially before the main verb:
きょうふう強風をものともせずに、とざん登山をつづけた続けた。
They continued climbing, undaunted by the strong winds.

にもかかわらず: "despite; in spite of" – more neutral; simply states that something happened despite a condition, without the heroic nuance.
をよそに: "ignoring; paying no attention to" – can carry a negative connotation of disregarding others' feelings or concerns.

Examples

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She continued practicing every day, making nothing of her illness.

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The athlete made a splendid comeback, undeterred by his serious injury.

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The residents worked on restoration efforts, disregarding the extreme heat.

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He became a doctor through self-study, making nothing of his poverty.

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The climbing team aimed for the summit, undaunted by the bad weather.

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She stood by her convictions, unfazed by the criticism.

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That company continued to grow its performance, in defiance of the recession.

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The firefighters rushed into the burning building, making nothing of the danger.

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He completed a full marathon, regardless of his age.

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The young researcher repeated the experiments, undeterred by repeated failures.

References

をものともせずBunpro

Structure

Description

Key nuances

Related expressions

Examples

References