ぼそぼそ

ぼ

そ

ぼ

そ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

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

mumbling; murmuring; in a subdued voice

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes speaking quietly, unclearly, or in a low mutter, often with a negative or hesitant nuance.

彼かれはぼそぼそと何なにか言いったが、聞きき取とれなかった。
He mumbled something, but I couldn't catch it.

人ひと前まえでぼそぼそ話はなすのはやめてください。

Please stop mumbling in front of people.

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

dry and crumbly; stale; tasteless

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes food that is dry, lacking moisture, and often unappetizing, like stale bread or overcooked rice.

このパンはぼそぼそしていて、あまりおいしくない。
This bread is dry and crumbly, not very tasty.
冷さめたご飯はんがぼそぼそになる。
Cold rice becomes dry and stale.

Written forms

ぼそぼそUsage57%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic word.
ボソボソUsage43%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.

Similar words

もごもご
もごもご also describes mumbling, but often implies speaking with something in the mouth or a more muffled, unclear sound, while ぼそぼそ focuses on a low, subdued voice.
パサパサ
パサパサ describes dryness with a fluffy or powdery texture, like dry hair or sand, whereas ぼそぼそ implies a dense, crumbly dryness typical of stale baked goods.

Etymology

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but the reduplicated form suggests a sound-symbolic representation of low, indistinct speech or dry, crumbling texture.