ripple; ring on water
Physical ripples spreading on a water surface.
小石を投げると、水面に波紋が広がった。
When I threw a pebble, ripples spread across the water's surface.
When I threw a stone, ripples formed on the water's surface.
repercussions; ripple effect
Figurative use: the spreading impact or consequences of an event, often in social or political contexts.
その発言は政界に大きな波紋を投げかけた。
That remark sent major ripples through the political world.
Japanese slit drum
A musical instrument made of iron with slits on top, producing a rippling sound. Domain-specific music term.
波紋は、仏教音楽で使われる鉄製の楽器だ。
The hamon is an iron instrument used in Buddhist music.
The falling raindrop made ripples in the pond.
That remark left major repercussions throughout the industry.
波紋 describes the immediate spreading repercussions of an event, while 余波 refers to the lingering aftereffects felt some time later.
波紋 emphasizes the spreading ripple-like impact of an event, while 反響 emphasizes the public reaction or feedback it provokes.
波紋 refers to the ripple-effect repercussions an event causes elsewhere, while 波乱 refers to turbulent ups-and-downs or dramatic turmoil within the event itself.
Compound of 波 (wave) and 紋 (pattern, crest). The figurative sense derives from the image of ripples spreading outward.