Entry
うようよ
uyouyo
Describes a visual state where a large number of small, often unpleasant things are gathered and continuously moving.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
This mimetic word describes a large cluster of small entities, such as insects, worms, or a crowd of people, wriggling or milling about in one place. It carries a negative connotation, evoking a feeling of disgust, creepiness, or unease.
- Swarming insects or maggots
- Suspicious crowd of people
Sense Map
Bugs and Small Creatures
A large number of insects, worms, or pests swarming, crawling, or wriggling together.
虫がうようよいる。
Crowds of People
A large group of people loitering or milling about, often implying they are suspicious or unwanted.
人がうようよ集まる。
Usage Note
How to Use
うようよ（と） + verb
Used as an adverb to describe how things are swarming or moving, usually paired with verbs indicating existence or movement.
うようよしている
Describes the continuous state of a place being infested or teeming with something.
うようよする
Functions as a verb to describe the act of swarming or milling about.
How to Use
Common Phrases
うようよいる
to be swarming
うようよ動く
to wriggle in a swarm
うようよしている
to be crawling with
虫がうようよ
swarming with bugs
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Seeing maggots in the trash. | Negative | The most typical usage, expressing a strong visceral disgust at the wriggling mass. |
| Noticing suspicious people in an alley. | Negative | Expresses creepiness and discomfort toward an unwanted crowd. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
うじゃうじゃ うじゃうじゃ / similar | Use when emphasizing an even larger, messier, or noisier mass of swarming things. | Very similar to uyouyo, but ujauja feels slightly more chaotic, denser, and sometimes noisier. | アリがうじゃうじゃいる。 |
ぞろぞろ ぞろぞろ / similar | Use when many people or animals are moving in a line or streaming steadily in one direction. | Focuses on a steady procession or flow of a group, whereas uyouyo focuses on aimless wriggling or milling about in one area. | 客がぞろぞろ出てくる。 |
もぞもぞ もぞもぞ / similar | Use for small, unseen movements or a restless, squirming feeling, like a bug trapped under clothes. | Describes subtle, hidden squirming, while uyouyo describes a visible, large mass of crawling things. | 虫がもぞもぞ動く。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it for stationary objects.
Uyouyo strictly implies continuous movement. Do not use it for a pile of inanimate objects.
Using it in a positive or beautiful context.
It has a strong negative nuance. Do not use it for a beautiful flock of birds or a happy crowd of fans.
Examples
Examples
生ゴミにウジ虫がうようよしている。
なまゴミにウジむしがうようよしている。
Maggots are swarming all over the raw garbage.
VisualA typical example expressing disgust at swarming bugs.
こぼれたジュースにアリがうようよ群がっている。
こぼれたジュースにアリがうようよむらがっている。
Ants are swarming all over the spilled juice.
VisualDescribes many small insects gathered in one spot.
夜の繁華街には怪しい人がうようよしている。
よるのはんかがいにはあやしいひとがうようよしている。
There are lots of suspicious people loitering around the downtown area at night.
FigurativeDescribes an unwanted crowd of people, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.
顕微鏡を覗くと、無数の細菌がうようよ動いていた。
けんびきょうをのぞくと、むすうのさいきんがうようようごいていた。
Looking through the microscope, I saw countless bacteria swarming around.
VisualThe word can also be used for microorganisms in constant motion.
古い家の床下にはシロアリがうようよと這い回っていた。
ふるいいえのゆかしたにはシロアリがうようよとはいまわっていた。
Termites were swarming and crawling around under the floor of the old house.
VisualDescribes pests crawling around in a hidden place.
Similar Words
うじゃうじゃ
ujauja
Describes a large number of things or people swarming together, or doing something in a slow, tedious, and complaining manner. Similar, but ujauja feels denser and more chaotic.
ぞろぞろ
zorozoro
ぞろぞろ describes a large group of people, animals, or things moving steadily together in a stream, or a long object trailing along the ground. Focuses on steady procession in a line.
もぞもぞ
mozomozo
Describes a slow wriggling, squirming, or creeping movement, as well as the dry and crumbly texture of food in the mouth. Small, hidden squirming movements.
Questions
Can I use uyouyo to describe a busy shopping mall?
Usually no, unless you want to express that the crowd is unpleasant, suspicious, or disgusts you. It carries a strong negative nuance.
Are uyouyo and ujauja interchangeable?
Yes, in most cases involving swarms of bugs or unpleasant things, they are interchangeable. Ujauja might feel slightly more dense and chaotic.
Can uyouyo be used for animals other than bugs?
Yes, it can be used for things like rats, snakes, or even fish, as long as they are gathered in a dense, wriggling mass that evokes a feeling of unease.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2007410
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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