(もうろう)

もうろう
na-adjective, noun
hazy; dim; foggy; dazed
descriptive
1. hazy; dim; blurry; vague
Describes something that is unclear, indistinct, or hard to see, as if obscured by mist or fog.
The fog is making visibility hazy.
(とお)景色(けしき)朦朧(もうろう)かすんでいた。
The distant scenery was hazy and blurred.
In the moonlight, I could see the dim outline of the mountains.
2. dazed; groggy; semiconscious
Describes a state of diminished consciousness where one's awareness is clouded, as when half-asleep, feverish, or exhausted.
意識(いしき)朦朧(もうろう)としてきた。
My consciousness became hazy.
高熱(こうねつ)朦朧(もうろう)としている
I'm dazed from a high fever.
I attended the meeting with a groggy head from staying up all night.

朦朧(もうろう) describes haziness or dimness, both of vision and of consciousness. Almost always used with as an adverb.

Common patterns

Writing

Both kanji are rare and complex. The word is sometimes written in hiragana (もうろう) in casual writing.

Similar words

  • ぼんやり: vaguely, absent-mindedly (more casual, everyday)
  • おぼろげ: faint, dim (literary)
  • ぼやける: to become blurry (verb, for vision)