のらりくらり

also: ぬらりくらり

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Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes doing nothing in particular, loafing around, or spending time without purpose. Often used with verbs like 過ごす or している.

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

evasively; non-committally; vaguely

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Used when someone avoids giving a clear answer, dodges a question, or speaks in a roundabout way. Often with verbs like 答える or かわす.

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

soft and slippery

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Only with reading ぬらりくらり

Rare, restricted to the reading ぬらりくらり. Describes a texture or movement that is slick and hard to grasp, like a slimy object.

のらりくらりUsage82%
Standard hiragana spelling for the common reading.
ノラリクラリUsage10%
search-only kana form
Search-only katakana form; not a common practical spelling.
ぬらりくらりUsage8%
Rare variant reading used only for the 'soft and slippery' sense.

だらだら
だらだら emphasizes a continuous, sluggish, or drawn-out action, while のらりくらり suggests aimless idleness or evasiveness without the same sense of prolonged duration.
ぐずぐず
ぐずぐず implies hesitation or dawdling, often with a sense of reluctance, whereas のらりくらり is more about loafing or being non-committal without strong negative judgment.

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain. The reduplicated pattern のらりくらり is typical of Japanese sound-symbolic adverbs.