Entry
こんもり
konmori
Describes something forming a dense, rounded mound, such as lush trees or a generous pile of food.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
A mimetic word used for a concentrated, rounded accumulation. It most frequently describes trees or forests growing thickly into a lush, dome-like shape, or a large, soft mound of piled items like rice, salad, or soil.
- Lush, mounded foliage
- A rounded pile of food or soil
Sense Map
Lush Foliage
Used for trees or plants growing thickly together to form a rounded, dense mound.
こんもり茂った森
Mounded Pile
Used for a soft, generous heap of something, such as serving food in a tall, rounded shape.
ご飯をこんもり盛る
Usage Note
How to Use
こんもり（と）＋動詞
Acts as an adverb modifying actions like growing (茂る) or piling (盛る).
こんもり（と）した＋名詞
Modifies nouns like forests or mountains to describe their mounded shape.
こんもりする
Used as a verb to describe something becoming lush or bulging upwards.
How to Use
Common Phrases
こんもり茂る
to grow thickly
こんもり盛る
to pile up generously
こんもりした森
a thickly wooded, mounded forest
こんもりした山
a lush, rounded mountain
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nature (Trees, Forests) | Positive | Implies healthy, lush growth forming a pleasing dome shape. |
| Food | Positive | Implies a generous, appetizing serving piled high. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ぎっしり ぎっしり / contrast | Use for things tightly crammed or packed into a space without gaps. | Focuses on being jam-packed inside a container, whereas こんもり focuses on a lush, mounded external shape. | 予定がぎっしり詰まる |
もさもさ もさもさ / contrast | Use for dense but messy, unkempt hair or vegetation. | Has a negative or unrefined nuance of being overgrown and messy, while こんもり is generally positive, healthy, and pleasantly rounded. | 髪がもさもさだ |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it for dense crowds of people.
こんもり describes physical shapes like trees or food piles, not population density or crowds.
Using it for flat but thick things.
It specifically implies a rounded, 3D mound shape. A flat, thick blanket would not be こんもり.
Examples
Examples
遠くにこんもりとした森が見える。
とおく に こんもり と した もり が みえる。
You can see a lush, mounded forest in the distance.
VisualDescribes the forest looking like a green dome from afar.
お皿にサラダをこんもりと盛った。
おさら に さらだ を こんもり と もった。
I piled the salad generously in a mound on the plate.
VisualDescribes vegetables arranged high, looking appetizing.
庭の木がこんもりと茂っている。
にわ の き が こんもり と しげっている。
The trees in the garden are growing thickly into a lush shape.
VisualFocuses on the leaves growing densely and healthily.
ご飯をこんもりよそってくれた。
ごはん を こんもり よそって くれた。
They served me a generously mounded bowl of rice.
VisualOften used for rice served bulging over the top of the bowl.
公園にこんもりとした土の山がある。
こうえん に こんもり と した つち の やま が ある。
There is a mounded pile of dirt in the park.
Visual'Konmori' suits softly piled materials like dirt or sand.
Similar Words
もさもさ
mosamosa
Describes something growing thickly and unkemptly like hair or vegetation, or a person who moves sluggishly and lacks sharpness. Used for dense but unruly vegetation or hair, lacking the neat, pleasing shape of こんもり.
ふっくら
fukkura
Describes something that is soft, fluffy, and pleasantly full or plump.
ぎっしり
gisshiri
Tightly packed or completely filled with absolutely no empty space or free time left. Unlike こんもり which focuses on a mounded external shape, ぎっしり focuses on things being tightly packed inside a space.
Questions
Can I use こんもり for a pile of laundry?
It's usually used for soft, uniform substances like soil, or food, or lush leaves. A messy pile of clothes might be better described with 'どっさり'.
Does こんもり have a negative meaning?
No, it generally has a positive, abundant nuance indicating healthy growth or generous portions.
What's the difference between こんもり and たっぷり?
'たっぷり' means 'plenty' or 'generous amount', while こんもり specifically refers to the visual rounded, mounded shape of the pile.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2008210
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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