1.
overly familiar, inappropriately casual
Being too friendly or casual with someone you don't know well enough; lacking appropriate social distance.
初対面なのに馴れ馴れしい態度を取る人は苦手だ。
I don't like people who act overly familiar even though we've just met.
馴れ馴れしく話しかけないでください。
Please don't talk to me in such a familiar way.
彼の馴れ馴れしさに困っている。
I'm troubled by how overly familiar he is.
客に対して馴れ馴れしい口調は失礼だ。
Using an overly casual tone with customers is rude.
馴れ馴れしい is an i-adjective formed by doubling 馴れる (to become familiar) with the suffix ～しい.
FORMS:
- Adverbial: 馴れ馴れしく
- Noun form: 馴れ馴れしさ
USAGE NOTE:
Always carries a negative connotation. It criticizes someone for not maintaining appropriate social boundaries. In Japanese culture, which values proper social distance based on relationship levels, this trait is considered impolite.
COLLOCATIONS:
- 馴れ馴れしい態度 - overly familiar attitude
- 馴れ馴れしい口調 - overly casual tone
- 馴れ馴れしく接する - to treat someone too familiarly
ORTHOGRAPHY:
Often written in hiragana as なれなれしい. The kanji 馴れ is the same as in 馴染む (to become accustomed).
Related Words
Related:
慣れる (to get used to)