ぼろ

ぼろ
noun
rag, tattered clothes
clothingevaluation
1. rag, tattered cloth
Old, worn-out cloth or clothing.
I'm wearing rags.
I wipe the floor with a rag.
I wiped the window with a rag.
He was wearing tattered clothes.
I threw away the old rags.
They lived in a house that was practically in ruins.
2. flaw, fault
A defect or weakness that becomes apparent.
I'm careful not to let my faults show.
When questioned, my faults became apparent.
If you lie, your flaws will show.
If I talk too long, I'll reveal my weaknesses.

Common expressions

ぼろが出(で)る is commonly used to mean that someone's true (negative) nature or incompetence becomes visible.

Related words

  • ぼろぼろ: worn out, tattered, falling apart (服(ふく)がぼろぼろだ, the clothes are in tatters)
  • ぼろ〜 as a colloquial prefix: ぼろ家(や) (shabby house), ぼろ負(ま)け (crushing defeat), ぼろ儲(もう)け (easy fortune)