待まちぼうけ

also: まちぼけ

ま

ち

ぼ

う

け

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

waiting in vain; being stood up

Describes the situation of waiting for someone who never shows up. Often used in the phrase 待ちぼうけを食う (to be left waiting).

彼かれは一いち時じ間かんも待まちぼうけを食くった。
He was left waiting for an hour.
約やく束そくの時じ間かんに誰だれも来こなくて、待まちぼうけだった。
Nobody came at the promised time, so I was stood up.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Expressions

待まちぼうけを食くうwait in vain; be stood up; wait only to be disappointed

Kanji

待wait, depend on
惚fall in love with, admire, grow senile

Don't confuse with

お待まちかね
お待ちかね describes something eagerly and (usually) successfully awaited, while 待ちぼうけ means waiting in vain for someone or something that never comes.

Written forms

待まちぼうけUsage96%
Standard spelling; the most common written form.
待ち惚けUsage4%
- まちぼうけ
  Ateji spelling using 惚け; rarely used.
- まちぼけ
待まちぼけ
Alternate reading まちぼけ; less common.
まちぼけ

Etymology

Compound of 待ち (machi, 'waiting') and ぼうけ, a sound shift from ほうけ (惚け, 'absent-mindedness'). The exact derivation of ぼうけ is uncertain, but it conveys the idea of waiting idly until one becomes dazed.