1.
omnivorous; eating both plants and animals
The dietary characteristic of eating both plant and animal matter. Used for animals, and sometimes metaphorically for people who consume a wide variety of media, genres, or interests.
人間は雑食動物だ。
Humans are omnivores.
クマは雑食で、魚も果物も食べる。
Bears are omnivorous and eat both fish and fruit.
彼は音楽に関しては雑食で、ジャンルを問わず何でも聴く。
When it comes to music, he's omnivorous — he listens to anything regardless of genre.
Composed of 雑 (miscellaneous, mixed) + 食 (eating, food). Used literally in biology and figuratively to describe someone with wide-ranging, undiscriminating tastes in media, food, or interests.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 雑食動物: omnivore
- 雑食性: omnivorous nature
- 雑食の生き物: an omnivorous creature
FIGURATIVE USAGE:
Commonly used figuratively, especially in fan communities and media discussion: 雑食リーダー (someone who reads any genre), 雑食ゲーマー (someone who plays all types of games). In otaku culture, describes fans who enjoy many different pairings or genres without strong preferences.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 草食: herbivorous — eating only plants; also used figuratively for passive personality
- 肉食: carnivorous — eating only meat; also used figuratively for aggressive personality
- 偏食: picky eating — being selective about food