Entry
でれっと
deretto
でれっと describes a state of lacking tension, either by being physically slack and lazy, or by having a fawning, love-struck expression.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This term captures a loss of sharpness or discipline. It can describe a physically or mentally sluggish, lazy, and sloppy attitude, or it can describe someone's face melting into a fawning, infatuated expression when they are deeply in love or smitten.
- lazy and sloppy
- love-struck and fawning
Sense Map
Slack & Lazy
Describes a loose posture or a lackadaisical attitude where one lacks focus and energy.
でれっと座る。
Love-struck
Describes a fawning, infatuated facial expression or attitude towards someone one is deeply fond of.
彼女を見てでれっとする。
Usage Note
How to Use
でれっとする
Used as a verb to act sluggishly or to show a fawning, infatuated expression.
でれっとした + noun
Used to modify a noun, such as a sloppy attitude or a love-struck face.
でれっと + verb
Used as an adverb to describe how an action is performed, like sitting slackly.
How to Use
Common Phrases
でれっとする
to act slovenly / to be love-struck
でれっとした顔
a love-struck face
でれっとした態度
a lackadaisical attitude
でれっと座る
to sit slackly
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Work or study attitude | negative | Shows a lack of discipline, implying laziness and sloppiness. |
| Affectionate contexts | neutral | Shows a softening of facial expressions due to infatuation or being smitten. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
でれでれ でれでれ / similar | Emphasizes a continuous, ongoing state of fawning or acting overly affectionate. | でれっと focuses more on the sudden or singular state of losing tension, not an ongoing behavior. | デレデレする |
めろめろ めろめろ / similar | Used strictly for being madly in love or completely helpless with adoration (like towards a baby). | Cannot be used to mean lazy or sloppy like でれっと can. | 孫にメロメロだ |
だらだら だらだら / similar | Used for idling away time pointlessly or for liquids trickling down. | Has no romantic or infatuated nuances. | だらだら過ごす |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using でれっと to describe pure physical exhaustion.
Use くたくた or ぐったり for exhaustion. でれっと means lacking tension due to laziness or infatuation.
Thinking でれっと is only used for romance.
If there is no romantic context, it usually just means someone is slouching or being lazy at work.
Examples
Examples
休みの日は一日中、家ででれっとしていた。
休(やす)みの日は一日中(いちにちじゅう)、家(いえ)ででれっとしていた。
On my days off, I lounged around the house all day slackly.
FigurativeShows a lazy attitude without doing anything productive.
授業中なのに、彼はでれっとした姿勢で座っている。
授業中(じゅぎょうちゅう)なのに、彼(かれ)はでれっとした姿勢(しせい)で座(すわ)っている。
Even though he's in class, he's sitting with a slack posture.
VisualFocuses on the physical posture that has lost tension.
大好きなアイドルを目の前にして、でれっとした顔になる。
大好(だいす)きなアイドルを目(め)の前(まえ)にして、でれっとした顔(かお)になる。
His face goes slack with infatuation when seeing his favorite idol right in front of him.
VisualShows a facial expression softening due to fondness.
彼女からメッセージが来て、思わずでれっとする。
彼女(かのじょ)からメッセージが来(き)て、思(おも)わずでれっとする。
He instinctively smiles a love-struck smile when he gets a message from his girlfriend.
FigurativeA spontaneous emotional and physical reaction when feeling happy due to love.
でれっとした態度で接客してはいけません。
でれっとした態度(たいど)で接客(せっきゃく)してはいけません。
You must not serve customers with a lackadaisical attitude.
LiteralUsed as a warning about professional discipline.
Similar Words
デレデレ
deredere
Describes a state of being completely infatuated and fawning over someone, or acting in a lazy and slovenly manner. A repeated form showing a continuous state of fawning or being love-struck.
メロメロ
meromero
Describes a state of losing one's judgment or composure due to being completely overcome by affection or infatuation. Shows being madly in love, without the lazy or sloppy meaning.
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. Shows idling away time pointlessly, without romantic nuances.
Questions
What is the difference between でれっと and デレデレ?
While both share the same root, デレデレ is a repeated form indicating a continuous, ongoing state of fawning or flirting. でれっと highlights the momentary state of becoming slack.
Does でれっと always mean 'love-struck'?
No, in everyday non-romantic contexts, it simply means being slack, sloppy, or lackadaisical.
Is でれっと related to 'tsundere'?
Yes, the 'dere' in tsundere comes from the same root, referring to the lovestruck, affectionate, and soft side of a personality.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1008470
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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