ばったり

also: ばたり · ばったん

ば

っ

た

り

JLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

with a thud; with a bang; with a flop

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes a sudden, forceful impact or falling sound, like a door slamming or someone collapsing.

彼かれは疲つかれてベッドにばったり倒たおれた。
Exhausted, he flopped down onto the bed.

風かぜでドアがばったりと閉しまった。

The door slammed shut with a bang from the wind.

2

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

unexpectedly; by chance

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Used when running into someone or encountering something by coincidence, often with a sense of surprise.

街まちでばったり昔むかしの友とも達だちに会あった。
I unexpectedly ran into an old friend in town.

3

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

suddenly; abruptly

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes something stopping or ending all at once, often used with verbs like 止まる or 途絶える.

連れん絡らくがばったりと途と絶だえた。
Contact suddenly ceased.

Written forms

ばったりUsage78%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic adverb.
バッタリUsage17%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
ばたりUsage2%
Less common variant without the geminate consonant.
バタリUsage2%
Katakana variant of ばたり.
ばったんUsage1%
Dialectal or colloquial variant.
バッタン
Katakana variant of ばったん.

Similar words

がたん
がたん is a sharper, more metallic impact sound, while ばったり suggests a heavier, duller thud or a sudden encounter.
どさっ
どさっ is a heavier, more muffled thud, often for a large object falling, whereas ばったり can be used for lighter impacts or sudden meetings.

Etymology

A mimetic word (擬態語) whose origin is uncertain. The form ばったり likely developed from the base ばた (representing a slapping or falling sound) with gemination and the adverbial suffix り.