Entry
どろり
dorori
Describes a liquid or semi-liquid that is thick, viscous, muddy, or gooey.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This term refers to a liquid or semi-liquid substance with high viscosity. It is typically used to describe liquids that flow sluggishly and heavily due to their thick texture, such as slowly simmered sauces, old oil, or wet mud.
- thick liquids
- mud and goo
Sense Map
Thick liquids and sauces
Used for rich sauces, heavy soups, or liquids that flow sluggishly.
スープがどろりとしている。
Mud and gooey substances
Indicates a wet, heavy, muddy, or coagulated texture.
靴にどろりとした泥がついた。
Usage Note
How to Use
どろりとする
Indicates that something has or has reached a thick, viscous state.
どろりとした + noun
Modifies a noun to describe it as having a thick, gooey texture (e.g., a thick liquid).
どろりと + verb
Describes an action happening in a heavy, sluggish manner, such as flowing or melting thickly.
How to Use
Common Phrases
どろりとしたスープ
thick soup
どろりと溶ける
to melt into a gooey state
どろりと流れる
to flow sluggishly
どろりとした液体
viscous liquid
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Food and cooking | neutral | Often used for hearty, heavily simmered foods like curry or rich sauces. |
| Nature or grime | negative | Can carry a gross or unpleasant nuance when describing wet mud, sludge, or suspicious fluids. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
どろどろ どろどろ / similar | When the texture is even more intense, continuous, messy, or completely melted down. | どろり is often a momentary or single descriptive state of being thick, while どろどろ emphasizes continuous messiness or a fully melted state. | どろどろに溶ける |
さらり さらり / opposite | When the liquid is thin, smooth, and flows easily without resistance. | さらり is the direct opposite, describing watery or light liquids. | さらりとしたスープ |
もったり もったり / similar | For thick, soft, creamy, and heavy textures that form soft peaks, like whipped cream. | もったり is softer and creamier, often used for food prep. どろり implies a heavier, potentially messier or wetter viscosity. | もったりしたクリーム |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it to describe thick, hard objects like books or walls.
Only use it for liquids, semi-liquids, or melting substances. Use 分厚い (buatsui) for solids.
Using it for bushy or dense hair.
For hair thickness, use ふさふさ. どろり is exclusively for liquid viscosity.
Examples
Examples
スープがどろりとしている。
すーぷ が どろり と している。
The soup is very thick.
LiteralDescribes the dense texture of the liquid.
靴にどろりとした泥がついた。
くつ に どろりとした どろ が ついた。
Thick mud stuck to the shoes.
LiteralIndicates the heavy and sticky texture of the dirt.
ペンキが壁をどろりと流れる。
ぺんき が かべ を どろり と ながれる。
The paint flows sluggishly down the wall.
VisualFocuses on the sluggish movement caused by the thick liquid.
チョコレートがどろりと溶ける。
ちょこれーと が どろり と とける。
The chocolate melts into a gooey state.
VisualDescribes the transition into a semi-liquid state.
古い油がどろりとしている。
ふるい あぶら が どろり と している。
The old oil has become viscous.
LiteralDescribes a liquid that has thickened over time.
Similar Words
さらり
sarari
The opposite, describing thin and watery liquids.
もったり
mottari
Used for soft, thick textures forming peaks like cream, rather than wet mud.
Questions
What is the difference between どろり and どろどろ?
どろり describes a specific, momentary state of a liquid being thick and heavy. どろどろ, on the other hand, implies a more extreme viscosity, a continuous messy process, or something melting completely out of shape.
Can I use どろり to describe a thick book?
No. どろり is strictly for the physical viscosity of liquids and semi-liquids. For solid objects that are thick, use 分厚い (buatsui).
Does どろり have a negative meaning?
It depends on the context. It is neutral or positive when describing hearty food like thick soup. However, when applied to mud or suspicious fluids, it can have an unpleasant or heavy nuance.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2140710
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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