うろうろ

うろうろ
adverb
wandering about; loitering; pacing restlessly
1. wandering about; loitering
Describes moving around restlessly without purpose or direction, often implying confusion or suspicion.
道(みち)に迷(まよ)ってうろうろした。
I got lost and wandered around.
不審(ふしん)者(しゃ)が家(いえ)の前(まえ)をうろうろしている。
A suspicious person is loitering in front of the house.
駅(えき)の出口(でぐち)が分(わ)からなくて、うろうろしてしまった。
I couldn't find the station exit and ended up wandering around.

うろうろ is an onomatopoeic word (擬態語(ぎたいご)) expressing restless, purposeless movement.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • うろうろする: to wander about, pace around
  • うろうろ歩(ある)く: to walk around aimlessly

NUANCE: Can imply confusion, nervousness, or suspicious behavior. More restless than ぶらぶら.

SIMILAR WORDS:

Related Words

Related: ぶらぶら (wandering (more relaxed))
Related: おろおろ (flustered, bewildered)
general
Added 2026.1.16 12:17 · Revised 2026.6.5 3:09
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