惚ほうける

ほ

う

け

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be dazed; be absent-minded; be mentally slow

Describes a state of mental dullness, befuddlement, or being out of it, often due to age, fatigue, or distraction.

年としをとって、少すこし惚ほうけてきたようだ。
He seems to have become a bit dazed with age.
疲つかれていて、頭あたまが惚ほうけている。
I'm so tired my mind is foggy.

auxiliary verb, ichidan verb

be engrossed in; be absorbed in

usually written using kana alone

Used as an auxiliary verb attached to the continuative form of another verb, indicating being completely absorbed in that action. Usually written in kana.

彼かれはゲームに遊あそびほうけている。
He is completely absorbed in playing games.
夏なつ休やすみは毎まい日にち寝ねほうけていた。
I spent the whole summer vacation just sleeping away.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

become frayed and dishevelled; be fluffy

Describes hair, grass, or similar things becoming overgrown, tangled, or fluffy. Rare and somewhat literary; occasionally written as 蓬ける.

長ながい間あいだ手て入いれをしなかったので、庭にわの草くさがほうけてしまった。
The garden grass has become overgrown and dishevelled because it wasn't tended for a long time.

Written forms

惚ほうける
Standard kanji for the 'dazed/absent-minded' sense; also used for the 'engrossed' sense.
ほうけるUsage80%
Usually written in kana for the auxiliary verb 'become engrossed in' sense.
呆ほうけるUsage20%
Alternative kanji for the 'dazed/absent-minded' sense.
耄ほうける
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form for the 'dazed/absent-minded' sense.

Kanji

惚fall in love with, admire, grow senile
呆be amazed, disgusted, shocked
耄senility

Similar words

ぼける
ぼける is the more common word for 'become senile' or 'be mentally slow', while ほうける is less frequent and can also mean 'be engrossed'.
呆あきれる
呆れる means 'to be amazed/disgusted', not 'dazed'. The kanji 呆 is shared but the meaning is different.

Etymology

The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 惚 is associated with infatuation or absent-mindedness, 呆 with astonishment or foolishness, and 耄 with senility. The reading ほうける may be related to ほう (direction/state) + ける (verb-forming suffix), but this is speculative.

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be dazed; be absent-minded; be mentally slow

Describes a state of mental dullness, befuddlement, or being out of it, often due to age, fatigue, or distraction.

年としをとって、少すこし惚ほうけてきたようだ。
He seems to have become a bit dazed with age.
疲つかれていて、頭あたまが惚ほうけている。
I'm so tired my mind is foggy.

auxiliary verb, ichidan verb

be engrossed in; be absorbed in

usually written using kana alone

Used as an auxiliary verb attached to the continuative form of another verb, indicating being completely absorbed in that action. Usually written in kana.

彼かれはゲームに遊あそびほうけている。
He is completely absorbed in playing games.
夏なつ休やすみは毎まい日にち寝ねほうけていた。
I spent the whole summer vacation just sleeping away.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

become frayed and dishevelled; be fluffy

Describes hair, grass, or similar things becoming overgrown, tangled, or fluffy. Rare and somewhat literary; occasionally written as 蓬ける.

長ながい間あいだ手て入いれをしなかったので、庭にわの草くさがほうけてしまった。
The garden grass has become overgrown and dishevelled because it wasn't tended for a long time.

Written forms

惚ほうける

Standard kanji for the 'dazed/absent-minded' sense; also used for the 'engrossed' sense.

ほうけるUsage80%

Usually written in kana for the auxiliary verb 'become engrossed in' sense.

呆ほうけるUsage20%

Alternative kanji for the 'dazed/absent-minded' sense.

耄ほうける

rarely-used kanji form

Rare kanji form for the 'dazed/absent-minded' sense.