垢抜(あかぬ)け

あかぬけ
noun
sophistication, polish, refinement
appearance
1. sophistication, polish, refined elegance
A polished, sophisticated quality that shows good taste and urban elegance. Often describes someone who has shed unsophisticated qualities to become stylish and worldly.
垢抜(あかぬ)けした人(ひと)
a sophisticated person
東京(とうきょう)に出(で)てから、彼女(かのじょ)は垢抜(あかぬ)けた。
She became more sophisticated after moving to Tokyo.
久(ひさ)しぶりに会(あ)った友人(ゆうじん)は、垢抜(あかぬ)けた雰囲気(ふんいき)になっていた。
The friend I met after a long time had acquired a polished air.

Verb form: Most commonly used as the verb 垢抜(あかぬ)ける (to become sophisticated) or in its past form 垢抜(あかぬ)けた (sophisticated).

Etymology: Literally "shedding grime/dirt (垢(あか))" - the idea of removing the rough, unsophisticated qualities.

Nuance: 垢抜(あかぬ)け implies a transformation from rustic or unsophisticated to stylish and urbane. It often has positive connotations but can sometimes suggest someone trying too hard to seem sophisticated.

Common collocations

  • 垢抜(あかぬ)けた人(ひと) (sophisticated person)
  • 垢抜(あかぬ)けない (unsophisticated, unpolished)
  • 垢抜(あかぬ)けた雰囲気(ふんいき) (polished atmosphere)

Related words

Related Words

Synonym: 洗練(せんれん) (refined)
Antonym: 野暮(やぼ)ったい (unfashionable)
Related: 都会的(とかいてき) (urban, metropolitan)
general
Added 2026.2.1 10:39 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
09000/09181_akanuke