ボケ

ぼけ
noun
blur; comedic setup; senility
entertainmenthealth
1. blur; out-of-focus area
the aesthetic quality of blur in out-of-focus areas of a photograph, now used internationally as a photography term
ボケの美(うつく)しい写真(しゃしん)が撮(と)れた。
I took a photo with beautiful bokeh.
背景(はいけい)ボケを活(い)かした撮影(さつえい)をする。
To shoot utilizing background blur.
このレンズはボケが綺麗(きれい)だ。
This lens produces beautiful bokeh.
2. funny man; straight man's partner
in Japanese comedy (especially manzai), the person who makes absurd statements or acts silly, contrasted with the tsukkomi
ボケとツッコミの掛(か)け合(あ)いが面白(おもしろ)い。
The back-and-forth between the funny man and straight man is amusing.
ボケを言(い)う。
To make a joke/silly remark.
彼(かれ)は漫才(まんざい)でボケ担当(たんとう)だ。
He plays the funny man role in manzai.
3. senility; mental decline
age-related cognitive decline or confusion
ボケ防止(ぼうし)のために脳(のう)トレをしている。
I'm doing brain training to prevent senility.
年(とし)をとってボケてきた。
As I got older, I've become forgetful.
祖父(そふ)のボケが進(すす)んでいる。
My grandfather's dementia is progressing.

Photography (SENSE 1)

'Bokeh' has been adopted into English as a photography term. It refers to the quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image.

Comedy (SENSE 2)

In manzai comedy, the ボケ makes absurd statements or acts foolish, while the ツッコミ (straight man) corrects or retorts.

Aging (SENSE 3)

Used to describe age-related cognitive decline. Can be considered somewhat casual or even insensitive depending on context.

Related Words

Related: ツッコミ (straight man (comedy))
Related: ピント (focus (camera))
Compare: ギャグ (gag, joke)
Compare: 漫才(まんざい)コンビ (manzai duo)
general
Added 2026.1.28 23:45 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
08500/08822_boke