1.
alone, by oneself
Being alone, especially in situations where being with others is expected.
ぼっちで飯を食う。
I eat alone.
昼休みはいつもぼっちだ。
I'm always alone during lunch break.
旅行でぼっちなのも悪くない。
Traveling alone isn't bad either.
2.
loner (person)
A person who is often alone, either by choice or circumstance.
彼は学校でぼっちらしい。
Apparently he's a loner at school.
ぼっちだけど気にしない。
I'm a loner, but I don't mind.
クラスにぼっちの子がいて、心配している。
There's a kid who's always alone in class, and I'm worried about them.
ぼっち is slang for being alone, especially in social situations where being with others is expected. It often carries a self-deprecating or humorous tone rather than a purely negative one.
ETYMOLOGY:
Shortened from 一人ぼっち (all alone). The clipped form became popular in youth culture and internet slang.
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- ぼっち飯: eating alone (especially at school or work)
- ぼっち行動: doing things alone
- ぼっち参加: attending an event alone
- 卒業式ぼっち: being alone at a graduation ceremony
USAGE:
Can function as a noun (ぼっちだ = "I'm a loner") or as a modifier (ぼっちで食べる = "eat alone"). Widely used online and among young people.
REGISTER:
Informal/slang. Not appropriate for formal contexts. In formal speech, use 一人で or 単独で instead.