Entry
ボサボサ
bosabosa
The state of hair or bristles being tangled and messy, or the act of idling away time doing nothing.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
ボサボサ (bosabosa) primarily describes a disheveled, unkempt, or untidy physical state, most commonly applied to human hair, animal fur, or the bristles of a brush that have lost their shape. A secondary meaning is to dilly-dally, dawdle, or idle away time without purpose.
- Messy hair or bristles
- Dawdling or wasting time
Sense Map
Messy Hair or Bristles
Describes hair, fur, or bristles that are uncombed, tangled, and sticking out in all directions.
髪がボサボサだ。
Dawdling or Idling
Spending time idly, being slow to act, or doing nothing productive.
ボサボサしている。
Usage Note
How to Use
ボサボサの + Noun
Used as a modifier to describe a noun, almost always hair or a brush.
ボサボサになる
Shows a change in state into becoming messy or disheveled.
ボサボサする
Used as a verb to mean dawdling or idling away time.
How to Use
Common Phrases
髪がボサボサ
messy hair
ボサボサの頭
unkempt head of hair
ボサボサになる
to become messy
ボサボサしてないで
do not just dawdle around
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Appearance | Negative | Implies the person has not made an effort to look presentable. |
| Time and Action | Negative | Often used in scolding someone to hurry up or start being productive. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ばさばさ ばさばさ / similar | When hair is not only messy but visibly dry, damaged, and lacking moisture. | ばさばさ focuses on the dry and coarse texture, while ボサボサ focuses on the untidy and uncombed shape. | ばさばさの髪 |
もじゃもじゃ もじゃもじゃ / similar | For thick, curly, or bushy hair or beards that look like a thicket. | もじゃもじゃ implies a thick and tangled mass of curls, whereas ボサボサ can just be straight hair that is uncombed. | もじゃもじゃの髭 |
うだうだ うだうだ / similar | When someone is wasting time by complaining or talking endlessly about trivial things. | うだうだ involves verbal complaining or chatting, whereas ボサボサ is purely physical dawdling or inaction. | うだうだ言う |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it to describe a messy room.
This word is only for things with strands like hair, fur, or bristles. For a messy room, use ぐちゃぐちゃ or 散らかっている.
Thinking ボサボサする means to mess up one's hair.
As a verb, it means to dawdle or idle away time, shifting entirely away from the hair meaning.
Examples
Examples
起きたばかりで、髪がボサボサだ。
おきたばかりで、かみがボサボサだ。
I just woke up, and my hair is messy.
VisualThe most common context for this word is bedhead.
古くなった歯ブラシの毛がボサボサになっている。
ふるくなったはブラシのけがボサボサになっている。
The bristles of the old toothbrush have become splayed out and messy.
VisualUsed with the particle ni to show a change in state.
いつまでもボサボサしていないで、早く準備しなさい。
いつまでもボサボサしていないで、はやくじゅんびしなさい。
Do not keep dawdling around forever, hurry up and get ready.
FigurativeThe verb form meaning to waste time or dawdle.
雨に濡れた犬の毛がぼさぼさだ。
あめにぬれたいぬのけがぼさぼさだ。
The fur of the dog wet from the rain is unkempt.
VisualCan also be used for animal fur.
彼はボサボサの頭で会議に現れた。
かれはボサボサのあたまでかいぎにあらわれた。
He showed up to the meeting with an unkempt head of hair.
VisualAs an adjective modifying the noun head or hair.
Similar Words
ばさばさ
basabasa
An onomatopoeia describing the sound of large objects flapping or a dry, coarse, and untidy state, especially of hair. Focuses on coarse and dry texture.
もじゃもじゃ
mojamoja
Describes hair, fur, or a beard that is thick, tangled, and unkempt. For very thick, curly, or bushy hair.
うだうだ
udauda
うだうだ means to go on and on complaining about trivial things, or to idle away time unproductively. Wasting time by complaining or talking too much.
Questions
Can I use ボサボサ to describe a messy desk?
No. It is restricted to stranded things like hair or brush bristles.
What is the difference between ボサボサ and ばさばさ for hair?
ボサボサ means untidy and uncombed. ばさばさ means dry, damaged, and coarse.
Is ボサボサする commonly used for wasting time?
Yes, especially in commands or complaints telling someone to stop dilly-dallying, like 'ボサボサしてないで' (Do not just stand there doing nothing).
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1011780
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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