ピンボケ

ぴんぼけ
noun
out of focus; blurry; off the mark
1. out of focus; blurry
A photograph or image that is not in sharp focus. From ピント (focal point, from Dutch 'punt') + ボケ (blur, fading).
ピンボケの写真(しゃしん)
A blurry photo.
ピンボケで()(なお)した。
It was out of focus, so I retook it.
せっかくの集合写真(しゅうごうしゃしん)がピンボケだった。
The group photo we took turned out blurry.
2. off the mark; missing the point
Figuratively describes a remark, response, or action that completely misses the point or is irrelevant to the topic at hand.
ピンボケな回答(かいとう)だ。
That's a completely off-the-mark answer.
(かれ)発言(はつげん)はピンボケだった。
His comment was totally off the mark.
議論(ぎろん)がピンボケにならないように注意(ちゅうい)しよう。
Let's be careful not to let the discussion go off track.

Compound of ピント (focal point, from Dutch 'punt') and ボケ (blur, haziness). Originally a photography term that has expanded into everyday figurative use.

USAGE:
As a noun, it modifies other nouns directly (ピンボケの写真(しゃしん)) or functions as a な-adjective-like modifier (ピンボケな回答(かいとう)). In the figurative sense, it describes anything that misses the target — remarks, policies, responses, or actions.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • ピンボケの写真(しゃしん) — blurry photo
  • ピンボケな発言(はつげん) — off-the-mark remark
  • ピンボケな回答(かいとう) — irrelevant answer
  • ピンボケな対応(たいおう) — misguided response

RELATED TERMS:

  • ピント — focal point; focus
  • ボケ — blur; also used for the 'funny man' role in comedy
  • ()ブレ — camera shake; a different cause of blurry photos
  • 的外(まとはず)れ — off the mark; a synonym for the figurative meaning