まくるDo repeatedly or intensely
まくる presents an action or change as happening repeatedly, relentlessly, or to an extreme degree. It is strongly colloquial and often adds an energetic, playful, boastful, or frustrated tone.
What it adds
The base verb names the action or development; まくる turns up its scale. Depending on the verb and context, this may mean doing something again and again, doing a great deal of it, or undergoing an unusually intense change. The form itself is not positive or negative: the speaker may be celebrating, complaining, joking, or simply emphasizing the scale.
Make the scale clear
Time expressions, quantities, and accumulated results help make the repetition or intensity unmistakable.
昨日はゲームで五回勝ちまくった。
Yesterday I kept winning at the game—five times in all.
Analyzeセールで服を買いまくって、今月はもうお金がない。
I went wild buying clothes in the sale, and now I have no money left this month.
Analyze週末は友達と朝まで踊りまくった。
Over the weekend, I danced like crazy with my friends until morning.
Analyze雨が降りまくって、川の水位が一気に上がった。
The rain kept pouring down, and the river level rose all at once.
AnalyzeRepeated action without the same intensity
てばかりいる often criticizes someone for spending their time on one activity. It need not suggest the high volume or explosive energy conveyed by まくる.
弟は休みの日に動画を見てばかりいる。
My younger brother does nothing but watch videos on his days off.
AnalyzeThis criticizes how he spends his time; it does not necessarily mean that he watches with extreme intensity.
Repetition versus one continuing state
っぱなし focuses on one uninterrupted stretch or on leaving the resulting state unchanged. By contrast, まくる focuses on repeated acts or unusually high intensity.
エアコンを一晩中つけっぱなしで寝てしまった。
I fell asleep with the air conditioner left on all night.
AnalyzeThe air conditioner remained on continuously; it was not switched on repeatedly.
More examples
試合中、彼はシュートを打ちまくった。
During the match, he took shot after shot.
Analyze夏休みは海で泳ぎまくるぞ。
This summer vacation, I'm going to swim like crazy in the ocean!
Analyze物価が上がりまくって、節約しても追いつかない。
Prices keep shooting up, and cutting back just isn't enough to keep pace.
Analyze会議で質問されまくって、答えるだけで疲れた。
I was bombarded with questions at the meeting, and answering them wore me out.
Analyze失敗しまくったけど、その分コツが分かった。
I messed up over and over, but that helped me get the hang of it.
Analyze子どもたちは雪の中を走りまくっていた。
The children were running all over the place in the snow.
Analyze