がりがり

が

り

が

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

crunching; scraping; scratching

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Mimetic adverb describing a hard, grating sound or action, such as chewing ice, scraping a surface, or scratching. Often used with と.

氷こおりをがりがり噛かむ。
I crunch on ice.
猫ねこが壁かべをがりがり引ひっかいている。
The cat is scratching the wall.

na-adjective

hard and crunchy

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes food or objects that are very hard and make a crunching sound when bitten or crushed.

このクッキーはがりがりで歯はが折おれそうだ。
This cookie is so hard and crunchy I feel like I might break a tooth.

na-adjective

very skinny; emaciated; all skin and bones

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes a person or animal that is extremely thin, often with a bony appearance. Can be used critically or sympathetically.

彼かれは病びょう気きでがりがりに痩やせてしまった。
He became emaciated due to illness.
その野の良ら猫ねこはがりがりだった。
That stray cat was all skin and bones.

See all 27 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉をがりがり食たべるto crunch on something hard while eating it
彼かれは氷こおりをがりがり食たべるのが好すきだ。
He likes to crunch on ice.
がりがりに痩やせるto become extremely thin, all skin and bones
病びょう気きでがりがりに痩やせてしまった。
He became emaciated from the illness.
〈場ば所しょ〉をがりがり(と)かくto scratch (a surface or body part) with a rough scraping sound
犬いぬがドアをがりがりとかいている。
The dog is scratching at the door.

Related words

カリカリ sense 1
かりかり describes a lighter, crispier crunch like chips or toast, while がりがり describes a harder, more grating crunch or scrape.
げっそりN1sense 3
げっそり emphasizes a sudden, drawn, haggard look (often from illness or shock), while がりがり simply describes being bony-thin overall.
ゴリゴリ sense 1
ごりごり conveys a deeper, rougher grinding sound made with more force, whereas がりがり sounds sharper and higher-pitched.

Opposites

ぽっちゃり sense 3
ぽっちゃり describes a soft, plump build, the opposite of がりがり's extremely thin, bony appearance.
デブ
ガリガリ is slangy for 'skinny/scrawny', the direct informal opposite of デブ meaning 'fat'.
マッチョ
ガリガリ describes a thin, skinny build, the opposite physical type from a muscular マッチョ.

Don't confuse with

がり
がりがり is an adjectival/adverbial mimetic word meaning bony or scrawny, whereas がり is the noun used to label a skinny person.
ばりばり
ばりばり describes a lighter, sharper crunching or ripping sound, whereas がりがり suggests a harder, more grating scrape (and can also describe a bony, scrawny appearance).

Written forms

がりがりUsage22%
Standard hiragana spelling for this mimetic word.
ガリガリUsage78%
Katakana spelling is also common, especially in informal or emphatic contexts.

Etymology

Mimetic word derived from the sound of hard scraping or crunching. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a typical reduplicative onomatopoeia in Japanese.