Entry
だらだら
daradara
だらだら describes something continuing endlessly without tension, such as chilling lazily at home, a meeting dragging on, or sweat dripping continuously.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
In Japanese, だらだら (daradara) is a mimetic word representing a continuous flow without structure or tension. It is most commonly used in three ways: to describe liquids like sweat or blood trickling constantly; to depict time-consuming, unproductive activities like a meeting or speech that drags on endlessly; and to express spending time idly, lazily, or just chilling without doing anything productive.
- Laziness
- Dragging On
- Dripping
- Gentle Slope
Sense Map
Laziness / Chilling
Spending time idly, being sluggish, or relaxing without doing anything in particular.
家でだらだらする。
Dragging On (Time / Events)
Meetings, tasks, or conversations that continue sluggishly without clear progress or end.
会議がだらだら続く。
Dripping / Flowing
Liquids like sweat, blood, or saliva flowing or trickling down continuously.
汗がだらだら流れる。
Gentle Slope
A long, gentle incline or decline that seems to stretch on endlessly.
だらだらした坂道。
Usage Note
How to Use
だらだらする
Functions as a verb meaning to be lazy or to chill out.
だらだら（と） + verb
Functions as an adverb describing an action done sluggishly or a liquid flowing continuously.
だらだら続く
A common set phrase meaning to drag on endlessly.
How to Use
Common Phrases
だらだらする
to lounge around / be lazy
だらだら続く
to drag on endlessly
汗をだらだらかく
to sweat profusely
だらだら過ごす
to spend time idly
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Weekends / Free Time | neutral | Positive or neutral. It simply means taking a break and relaxing without plans. |
| Work / Study / Meetings | negative | Highly critical. It implies the activity is inefficient, unstructured, and wasting time. |
| Physical State (Sweat / Blood) | neutral | Purely descriptive of a continuous, trickling flow. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ぐだぐだ ぐだぐだ / similar | Both describe inefficient or long situations. グダグダ focuses more on chaos, lack of structure, or things falling apart. | You cannot use グダグダ for flowing sweat; only だらだら works for liquids. | グダグダな言い訳 |
のろのろ のろのろ / similar | のろのろ is strictly about slow physical speed like a snail or slow traffic. だらだら focuses on sluggishness and lack of motivation or tension. | A car moving slowly in traffic is のろのろ, not だらだら. | のろのろ歩く |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using だらだら for someone moving slowly due to injury or age.
Use のろのろ (noronoro) for pure physical slowness. だらだら implies a lack of motivation or a lazy attitude.
Assuming it is always an insult.
Telling your friends that you were 'だらだら' this weekend is a very common, neutral thing to say about resting.
Examples
Examples
週末は家でだらだらして過ごした。
しゅうまつはいえでだらだらしてすごした。
I spent the weekend chilling lazily at home.
FigurativeUsed for relaxing without any plans.
校長先生の話がだらだらと続いた。
こうちょうせんせいのはなしがだらだらとつづいた。
The principal's speech dragged on endlessly.
FigurativeShows boredom and that it took too long.
暑くて、額から汗がだらだら流れた。
あつくて、ひたいからあせがだらだらながれた。
It was so hot that sweat dripped continuously from my forehead.
LiteralDescribes liquid dripping continuously.
ダラダラ仕事をしてはいけません。
だらだらしごとをしてはいけません。
You shouldn't work sluggishly and lazily.
FigurativeIn a work context, this is a warning against inefficiency.
自転車でだらだらした坂道を登った。
じてんしゃでだらだらしたさかみちをのぼった。
I rode my bicycle up a long, gentle slope.
VisualIndicates an incline that is not steep but long.
Similar Words
グダグダ
gudaguda
Focuses on chaos or lack of structure, rather than just slowness.
Questions
What is the difference between だらだら and ごろごろ?
ごろごろ specifically involves lying down or rolling around physically. だらだら is broader; you can be sitting at a desk working sluggishly, which would be だらだら but not ごろごろ.
Can I use だらだら for heavy rain?
No. For rain, you should use しとしと for light continuous rain, or ざあざあ for heavy rain.
Is it okay to say I was だらだら to my boss?
Generally, no. Even if you just mean you relaxed on the weekend, it might sound a bit too sloppy or unprofessional in a strict business setting. Use ゆっくり休む instead.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1007510
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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