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薄っぺらい (うすっぺらい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
i-adjective
very thin ; flimsy ; cheap ; shallow
Colloquial and often derogatory. Describes physical thinness of objects, or figuratively shallow, insubstantial, or cheap-seeming things, ideas, or people. Stronger and more emotive than 薄い.
See also: 薄っぺら (うすっぺら)
His excuse is shallow and unconvincing.
Written forms 薄うす っぺらい Usage 95%
Standard kanji-kana spelling. The kanji 薄 carries the core meaning of 'thin'.
うすっぺらい Usage 5%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the kanji is not needed.
Kanji 薄 dilute, thin, weak (tea) Similar words 薄うす い Neutral 'thin'. 薄っぺらい adds a colloquial, often negative nuance of being flimsy, cheap, or shallow.
薄うす っぺら Noun/adjectival noun form with similar meaning, often used attributively (薄っぺらな). 薄っぺらい is the adjective form.
Etymology Derived from 薄い (thin) with the colloquial suffix っぺらい, which adds a pejorative or emphatic nuance. The exact origin of っぺらい is uncertain, but it appears in a few similar adjectives like 安っぽい (cheap-looking).
