ぼりぼり
ぼりぼり
adverb, onomatopoeia
crunching; scratching
1.
crunching (eating something hard or dry)
The sound or manner of chewing a hard, dry food—senbei, raw vegetables, biscuits—with audible crunching.
煎餅をぼりぼり食べる。
I crunch on rice crackers.
弟は人参をぼりぼりとかじっている。
My little brother is munching on a carrot.
映画を見ながらポップコーンをぼりぼりと食べ続けた。
I kept crunching on popcorn while watching the movie.
2.
scratching (an itch)
The sound or motion of vigorously scratching an itchy spot—the head, back, or arm—often with the fingernails.
頭をぼりぼり掻いた。
I scratched my head vigorously.
蚊に刺されてぼりぼりと腕を掻いてしまった。
After getting bitten by a mosquito, I ended up scratching my arm hard.
かゆいところをぼりぼり掻くと、余計にひどくなるよ。
If you keep scratching the itchy spot like that, it'll only get worse.
The 「ぼ」 sound suggests a deeper, drier crunch than ぱりぱり or ばりばり. The two senses (chewing and scratching) share a sense of dry, abrasive friction.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ぼりぼり食べる: to crunch on (food)
- ぼりぼりかじる: to munch on
- 頭をぼりぼり掻く: to scratch one's head
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ばりばり: louder, harder crunch (and "vigorously" figuratively)
- ぱりぱり: lighter, crisper sound (chips, thin senbei)
- ぽりぽり: a softer crunch, often for lighter snacks