どろどろ

どろどろ
adverb, na-adjective, onomatopoeia
muddy; thick and gooey; messy (of relationships)
informaldescriptivesociety
1. muddy; thick; gooey; sludgy
Describes a substance that is thick, viscous, and messy, like mud or melted material.
道(みち)がどろどろだ。
The road is muddy.
チョコレートがどろどろに溶(と)けた。
The chocolate melted into a gooey mess.
雨(あめ)で服(ふく)がどろどろになってしまった。
My clothes got all muddy from the rain.
2. messy; tangled; sordid (of relationships or situations)
Describes human relationships or situations that are complicated, messy, and emotionally turbulent.
どろどろの人間関係(にんげんかんけい)。
A messy web of relationships.
あのドラマはどろどろの恋愛(れんあい)ドラマだ。
That drama is a sordid romance drama.
社内(しゃない)の権力(けんりょく)争(あらそ)いがどろどろしている。
The internal power struggle at the company is a tangled mess.

An onomatopoeic/mimetic word (オノマトペ) that evokes the texture and feel of something thick, viscous, or muddled. Can be used as an adverb, na-adjective (どろどろの/な), or with する.

Common collocations

Usage

The figurative sense (sense 2) is very common in everyday conversation and media, especially when describing TV dramas, love triangles, workplace politics, or family conflicts. It implies something unpleasantly complicated and emotionally charged.

Similar words

  • ぬるぬる: slimy, slippery — wet and slick rather than thick and viscous
  • べとべと: sticky — emphasizes adhesion rather than thickness
  • ぐちゃぐちゃ: messy, jumbled — emphasizes disorder rather than viscosity; can also describe messy situations

Related Words

Compare: ぬるぬる (slimy, slippery)
Compare: べとべと (sticky)
Compare: ぐちゃぐちゃ (messy, jumbled)
Compare: ぐしゃぐしゃ (crumpled)
general
Added 2026.3.30 23:27 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
20500/20729_dorodoro