Entry
けろけろ
kerokero
けろけろ means acting completely unconcerned as if nothing happened, or recovering entirely from an illness.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This mimetic word describes a state where someone feigns ignorance or acts perfectly fine after a mistake, incident, or stressful event. It can also describe a sudden and complete recovery from sickness, as though the person was never ill to begin with.
- acting nonchalant
- recovering completely
Sense Map
Nonchalance & Feigned Ignorance
Acting as if nothing happened, showing no remorse or concern after a mistake or scolding.
怒られてもけろけろしている。
Complete Recovery
Recovering from an illness quickly and entirely, showing no lingering signs of sickness.
風邪からけろけろと治った。
Usage Note
How to Use
けろけろしている
Used to describe a continuing state of acting nonchalantly or unbothered.
けろけろと + verb
Used as an adverb to describe how an action is done completely without concern.
How to Use
Common Phrases
けろけろしている
acting nonchalantly
けろけろと治る
recovering completely
けろけろと忘れる
forgetting completely without concern
けろけろと笑う
laughing nonchalantly as if nothing happened
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Recovering from illness | positive | Describes a surprising and positive full recovery from a sickness. |
| Ignoring one's own mistake | negative | Carries a critical nuance when describing someone who shows no remorse or completely ignores the trouble they caused. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
けろっと けろっと / similar | Very similar, but けろっと is much more common in everyday conversation to show a sudden shift to being completely fine. | けろけろ can sound slightly more dated or less common than けろっと in this specific context. | けろっとしている。 |
しれっと しれっと / similar | Used when someone intentionally acts innocent or cheeky after doing something sneaky. | しれっと focuses on deliberate deception or cheekiness, whereas けろけろ is simply acting entirely unconcerned. | しれっと嘘をつく。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Mistaking けろけろ as only meaning a frog's sound.
While it is the sound of a frog, in psychological contexts it means acting completely unconcerned or recovering entirely.
Using けろけろ to describe oneself overcoming a mistake at work in an apology.
Because it implies a lack of remorse, describing your own recovery from a mistake as けろけろ sounds like you do not care about the consequences.
Examples
Examples
彼は先生に怒られたのに、けろけろしている。
かれはせんせいにおこられたのに、けろけろしている。
Even though he was scolded by the teacher, he is acting completely unconcerned.
FigurativeShows a lack of remorse or mental burden after being scolded.
あんなにひどい風邪だったのに、一晩でけろけろと治った。
あんなにひどいかぜだったのに、ひとばんでけろけろとなおった。
Even though it was such a bad cold, it cured completely overnight.
LiteralUsed for a remarkably fast physical recovery, as if one was never sick.
彼女は大きな失敗をした後でも、けろけろと笑っている。
かのじょはおおきなしっぱいをしたあとでも、けろけろとわらっている。
Even after making a big mistake, she is laughing nonchalantly.
FigurativeShows an attitude as if there is no problem whatsoever.
嫌なことを言われても、彼はけろけろとしている。
いやなことをいわれても、かれはけろけろとしている。
Even when told unpleasant things, he acts completely unconcerned.
FigurativeUsed when someone is completely unaffected emotionally by negativity.
あんなに泣いていた子供が、今ではけろけろと遊んでいる。
あんなにないていたこどもが、いまではけろけろとあそんでいる。
The child who was crying so hard is now playing cheerfully as if nothing happened.
FigurativeDescribes a sudden, drastic change where all previous distress is completely forgotten.
Similar Words
けろっと
kerotto
けろっと describes a sudden, complete shift to a normal state, such as recovering fully from illness, forgetting entirely, or acting nonchalantly. Almost the exact same meaning, but much more common in modern conversation.
けろり
kerori
Describes acting nonchalantly as if nothing happened, or completely returning to a normal state.
しれっと
shiretto
Acting completely calm or as if nothing happened, usually after making a mistake or doing something cheeky. Related but emphasizes a deliberate cheekiness or feigning of innocence.
さっぱり
sappari
Describes a clean and unburdened state, such as feeling refreshed, having a light taste, or completely lacking something when used with a negative verb.
Questions
Is けろけろ related to the sound of a frog?
Yes, けろけろ is commonly known as the croaking sound of a frog in Japanese. However, when used for human behavior, it metaphorically means acting completely unconcerned or recovering as if nothing happened.
Can I use けろけろ when apologizing?
No, using けろけろ implies you are unbothered by what happened. If you use it when apologizing, you will sound insincere and like you do not care about the mistake.
What is the difference between けろけろ and けろっと?
They share the same meaning, but けろっと is much more commonly used in modern daily conversation to describe someone acting nonchalant or recovering completely.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2831885
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
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- Active language
- English
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