ぼやぼや

ぼ

や

ぼ

や

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

ぼやぼやする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

absentminded; careless; spaced out

Describes a state of mental fog, inattention, or slowness. Often used with する or as an adverb with と.

Describes hair that is long, messy, or untidy. Often used with した or の.

Archaic mimetic use for something flaring up or rising, such as fire or steam. Not used in modern everyday speech.

ぼやぼやするto be absentminded or spaced out
彼かれはいつもぼやぼやしていて、忘わすれ物ものが多おおい。
He's always spaced out and often forgets things.
髪かみがぼやぼやになるfor hair to become unkempt/disheveled
寝ね坊ぼうして髪かみがぼやぼやのまま出でかけた。
I overslept and went out with my hair all disheveled.
ぼやぼやしていると〈事こと〉if you dawdle/space out, ~ (something bad will happen)
ぼやぼやしていると電でん車しゃに遅おくれるよ。
If you keep dawdling, you'll miss the train.
ぼやぼやするなdon't space out!; hurry up and pay attention!
ぼやぼやするな、早はやくしろ！
Don't just stand there spaced out, hurry up!

うっかりN3sense 1
うっかり describes a momentary slip or careless mistake, while ぼやぼや describes a prolonged, hazy state of inattention.
ボサボサ sense 2
ぼさぼさ describes hair that is dry and bushy, while ぼやぼや describes hair that is long and untidy.
ぼんやりN3sense 1
ぼんやり is the common word for being vague or absentminded, while ぼやぼや emphasizes a lingering, sluggish inattentiveness often used when scolding someone.
うかうかN1
ぼやぼや is often used to scold someone for dawdling or being slow to act, while うかうか emphasizes letting one's guard down without necessarily being slow.

しっかりN4sense 1
しっかり means being alert and on top of things, the opposite of ぼやぼや's spaced-out inattention.

もやもやN1sense 1
もやもや describes a vague, murky feeling or haze, while ぼやぼや describes a person's absentminded, sluggish behavior.

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but the reduplicated form suggests a sound-symbolic representation of vagueness or fluffiness.