1.
hazy; dim; blurry; vague
Describes something that is unclear, indistinct, or hard to see, as if obscured by mist or fog.
霧で視界が朦朧としている。
The fog is making visibility hazy.
遠くの景色が朦朧とかすんでいた。
The distant scenery was hazy and blurred.
月明かりの中、朦朧と浮かぶ山の影が見えた。
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.
意識が朦朧としてきた。
My consciousness became hazy.
高熱で朦朧としている。
I'm dazed from a high fever.
徹夜で朦朧とした頭のまま会議に出た。
I attended the meeting with a groggy head from staying up all night.
朦朧 describes haziness or dimness, both of vision and of consciousness. Almost always used with と as an adverb.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 朦朧とする: to be hazy, to become dazed
- 意識が朦朧とする: consciousness becomes hazy
- 朦朧とした意識: a clouded state of awareness
- 朦朧とかすむ: to blur and fade
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)