パツパツ

also: パッツンパッツン · パツンパツン

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective

bursting at the seams; bulging; skin-tight

Describes something filled to capacity, often clothing that is too tight or a container that is overstuffed. Mimetic word.

snip-snip; sound of scissors cutting

Only with reading パツパツ / ぱつぱつ

Onomatopoeia for the sound of scissors snipping. Restricted to the shorter readings パツパツ and ぱつぱつ.

パンパン
Also means bulging or full, but パンパン is more general for being stuffed or swollen, while パツパツ emphasizes tightness and the sound of strain.
キツキツ
Means tight or close-fitting, but キツキツ is more about the feeling of tightness, whereas パツパツ adds a visual and auditory sense of bursting.

Mimetic word derived from the sound of something straining or bursting, or the snipping sound of scissors. The exact origin is uncertain.