ブ男おとこ

also: ぶおとこ · しこお

ブ

お

と

こ

Meanings

noun

ugly man

derogatory

Derogatory slang term for an unattractive man. Often used in casual, mocking contexts.

あいつは本ほん当とうにブ男おとこだな。
That guy is really an ugly man.
ブ男おとこでも性せい格かくが良よければモテるよ。
Even an ugly man can be popular if he has a good personality.

noun

strong, brawny man

archaic

Only when written 醜男 · Only with reading しこお

Archaic meaning, now obsolete. Only encountered in historical texts or as a curiosity.

古こ文ぶん書しょには「醜しこ男お」を「しこお」と読よませ、屈くっ強きょうな男おとこを指さした例れいがある。
In old documents, '醜男' is read as 'shikoo' and refers to a brawny man.

See all 4 example sentences ›

Kanji

男male
醜ugly, unclean, shame

Related words

ブス
Derogatory term for an ugly woman, analogous to ブ男 for men.
不ぶ細さい工く
Means 'ugly' or 'plain-looking', can be used for both genders and is slightly less harsh than ブ男.

Opposites

美び男なん
醜男 means an ugly man, the direct opposite of 美男, a handsome man.

Written forms

ブ男おとこUsage38%
Standard spelling for the derogatory term 'ugly man'. The reading ブおとこ is the most common.
醜男Usage55%
- ぶおとこ
  Ateji spelling using the kanji for 'ugly' and 'man'. Rarely used; the reading ぶおとこ is associated with this form.
- しこお
  out-dated reading
  Archaic reading and spelling for the obsolete sense 'strong, brawny man'.
ぶおとこUsage7%
しこお
out-dated reading

Etymology

The prefix ブ is a slang intensifier derived from 不 (fu, 'not') or possibly from 醜 (bu, 'ugly'), combined with 男 (otoko, 'man'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a modern colloquial coinage.