noun
A piece of old, worn-out cloth, often used for cleaning or as scrap material.
古いTシャツをぼろにして掃除に使った。
I tore up an old T-shirt into rags and used them for cleaning.
noun
tattered clothes; rags
Clothing that is worn out, torn, or in poor condition; often implies shabbiness.
彼はぼろをまとって物乞いをしていた。
He was begging in rags.
noun
hidden fault; defect; weakness
A flaw or shortcoming that one tries to conceal; often used in the phrase ぼろが出る (for a hidden fault to be exposed).
うそをつくとすぐにぼろが出る。
If you lie, your hidden faults will quickly come to light.
noun-modifying (irregular), na-adjective
Describes something in a dilapidated or threadbare state; used prenominally or as a na-adjective.
ぼろなアパートに住んでいる。
I live in a run-down apartment.
ぼろの車が故障した。
The beat-up old car broke down.
Rare kanji form; the reading is a jukujikun.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 襤褸 are a jukujikun reading, meaning they were assigned to the existing word ぼろ based on meaning rather than sound.