ぶっきらぼう

ぶ

っ

き

ら

ぼ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

curt; blunt; brusque

usually written using kana alone

Describes a manner of speaking or behaving that is short, unfriendly, and lacking warmth or politeness. Often used for someone who answers in monosyllables or without softening their words.

彼かれはいつもぶっきらぼうな返へん事じをする。
He always gives curt replies.

ぶっきらぼうな態たい度どをとられて、少すこし傷きずついた。

I was a little hurt by his brusque attitude.

Written forms

ぶっきらぼうUsage94%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form ぶっきら棒 is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
ぶっきら棒ぼうUsage6%
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.

Kanji

棒rod, stick, cane

Similar words

そっけない
そっけない also means cold or unfriendly, but emphasizes emotional distance and lack of warmth, while ぶっきらぼう focuses on the shortness and bluntness of speech or manner.
無ぶ愛あい想そう
無愛想 means unsociable or unfriendly in a general sense, often describing a person's nature. ぶっきらぼう is more about the manner of speaking being abrupt.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to ぶっきり (abruptly) and 棒 (stick), suggesting a stiff, blunt manner. The kanji 棒 is likely ateji.