1.
captive; prisoner of war
A person taken captive, especially a prisoner of war. This is the original, literal meaning.
敵の虜になる。
Become a prisoner of the enemy.
戦争で多くの兵士が虜にされた。
Many soldiers were taken captive in the war.
彼は虜として何年も異国の地で過ごした。
He spent years in a foreign land as a prisoner.
2.
captivated person; devotee; someone enthralled
A person who is completely captivated or charmed by something or someone. The most common modern usage.
彼女の笑顔の虜になった。
I was captivated by her smile.
この味の虜になる人が多い。
Many people become hooked on this flavor.
一度訪れたら、京都の魅力の虜になってしまうだろう。
Once you visit, you'll probably be captivated by Kyoto's charm.
Originally meant a prisoner or captive, but in modern Japanese is far more commonly used figuratively to mean someone who is completely charmed or enthralled. Often written in hiragana (とりこ) in the figurative sense.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 虜になる — to be captivated, to become enthralled
- 虜にする — to captivate, to enthral
- 〜の虜 — captivated by ~
- 心を虜にする — to capture someone's heart
USAGE NOTE:
The figurative sense (sense 2) is overwhelmingly more common in modern Japanese. The pattern 〜の虜になる is one of the most natural ways to express being completely charmed by something — food, a place, a person, or an experience.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 捕虜 — prisoner of war (formal/military)
- 夢中 — absorbed, crazy about (similar figurative meaning but less romantic)