〈人ひと〉が一ひと人りでぶつぶつ言いうfor someone to mutter to themselves
彼かれは一人ひとりでぶつぶつ言いっている。
He's muttering to himself.
〈場ば所しょ〉にぶつぶつができるto break out in small bumps or a rash
腕うでにぶつぶつができてしまった。
I broke out in a rash on my arm.
〈物もの〉をぶつぶつ切きるto chop something into small pieces
玉たまねぎをぶつぶつ切きってください。
Please chop the onion into small pieces.
〈物もの〉がぶつぶつ煮にえるfor something to simmer or bubble gently
スープがぶつぶつ煮にえている。
The soup is simmering gently.

Related words· 7

愚ぐ痴ちN2sense 1
愚痴 is the common word for grumbling or complaining about one's troubles, while ぶつぶつ describes the low, mumbling sound of such complaints.
できものN1sense 2
できもの is a general term for any bump or growth on the skin, while ぶつぶつ specifically evokes many small bumps like a rash or pimples.
独ひとり言ごとN2sense 1
独り言 means talking to oneself in general, whereas ぶつぶつ emphasizes the low, indistinct mutter such speech has.
発ほっ疹しん sense 2
発疹 is the clinical term for a rash, while ぶつぶつ is the everyday, descriptive word for the same small bumps.

Show 3 more

ガタガタN1
ぶつぶつ is muttered, under-the-breath grumbling, while ガタガタ implies louder, more persistent complaining.
ブーブーN1
ぶつぶつ describes quiet muttering to oneself, while ブーブー is a louder, more overt kind of grumbling.
ぐずぐずN1
ぶつぶつ describes muttering complaints under one's breath, while ぐずぐず describes prolonged, whiny grumbling.

Don't confuse with

つぶつぶ sense 2
つぶつぶ describes small, distinct grains or beads (like seeds in jam), while ぶつぶつ describes bumps on skin or the sound of muttering, and the two are often mixed up because they sound and look alike.

Written forms

ぶつぶつUsage60%
Standard hiragana spelling for all senses; the most common written form.
ブツブツUsage40%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in casual writing.

Etymology

An onomatopoeic or mimetic word. The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely imitates the sound of low muttering or the appearance of small, repeated bumps or bubbles.