煮(に)え切(き)らない

にえきらない

expression, i-adjective

indecisive; wishy-washy; half-hearted

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	煮(に)え切(き)らない	煮(に)え切(き)らなくない
Past	煮(に)え切(き)らなかった	煮(に)え切(き)らなくなかった
て form	煮(に)え切(き)らなくて	煮(に)え切(き)らなくなくて
Adverbial	煮(に)え切(き)らなく	—
Conditional ば	煮(に)え切(き)らなければ	煮(に)え切(き)らなくなければ
Conditional たら	煮(に)え切(き)らなかったら	煮(に)え切(き)らなくなかったら

1. indecisive; wishy-washy; noncommittal; half-hearted

Describes a person or attitude that is unable or unwilling to commit to a clear decision or position. Literally means 'not fully boiled,' conveying the image of something that hasn't reached a definitive state.

煮(に)え切(き)らない返事(へんじ)だった。

It was a noncommittal reply.

彼(かれ)の煮(に)え切(き)らない態度(たいど)にイライラする。

His wishy-washy attitude frustrates me.

いつまでも煮(に)え切(き)らない答(こた)えばかりで、結局(けっきょく)何(なに)も決(き)まらなかった。

Nothing was decided in the end because the answers were always half-hearted.

Usage

Always used negatively to express frustration with someone's lack of decisiveness. The literal image is of food that hasn't boiled through properly — neither done nor undone.

Common collocations

煮(に)え切(き)らない態度(たいど) (wishy-washy attitude)
煮(に)え切(き)らない返事(へんじ) (a noncommittal reply)
煮(に)え切(き)らない答(こた)え (an indecisive answer)

Similar words

優柔不断(ゆうじゅうふだん): indecisive — a na-adjective describing someone's personality trait
はっきりしない: unclear, vague — more neutral, less negative

Related Words

Synonym: 優柔不断(ゆうじゅうふだん) (indecisive (personality))

general

Added 2026.3.18 11:04 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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