イケメン

いけめん
noun
good-looking guy, handsome man
slang
1. good-looking guy, handsome man
A man who is attractive in appearance. Combination of イケてる (cool/attractive) and メン (men/face).
彼(かれ)はイケメンだよね。
He's a good-looking guy, isn't he?
イケメン俳優(はいゆう)がドラマに出(で)ている。
A handsome actor is in the drama.
この店(みせ)はイケメンの店員(てんいん)が多(おお)い。
This shop has many good-looking staff members.

イケメン is slang for a good-looking or handsome man, widely used in modern Japanese.

Etymology

Combination of イケてる (cool, attractive) + メン (men or 面(めん) face). Emerged in the late 1990s and became mainstream in the 2000s.

Usage

Female equivalents

Related slang

  • フツメン: average-looking guy
  • ブサメン: ugly guy (somewhat rude)
  • 塩顔(しおがお): 'salty face' (delicate features)
  • 醤油顔(しょうゆがお): 'soy sauce face' (traditional Japanese look)

Register

Informal/casual. Fine among friends but too casual for formal situations.

Related Words

Related: 塩顔(しおがお) ('salty face')
Compare: 美人(びじん) (beautiful woman)
Related: イケてる (cool, stylish)
Related: ブサイク (ugly, unattractive, clumsy)
Compare: 男前(おとこまえ) (handsome, good-looking man)
Compare: 美形(びけい) (good-looking)
Compare: 美男(びなん) (handsome man)
Compare: 美女(びじょ) (beautiful woman)
general
Added 2026.1.16 8:51 · Revised 2026.9.2 12:02
04500/04761_ikemen