Japanese symbol for “unkempt”
ボサボサ
ボサボサ
Romaji: bosabosa
ruffled (hair, brush bristles, etc.); unkempt; dishevelled; untidy
In Japanese, unkempt is ボサボサ (bosabosa).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-na, adj-no, adv ruffled (hair, brush bristles, etc.); unkempt; dishevelled; untidy; tousled
- adv, adv-to, vs idling away time; dawdling; dilly-dallying
Written forms: —. Readings: ボサボサ、ぼさぼさ.
Other Japanese words for “unkempt”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ずぼら | ずぼら zubora | sloppy; slovenly; slipshod |
| もじゃもじゃ | もじゃもじゃ mojamoja | tousled; shaggy (hair); scraggly (beard) |
| もしゃもしゃ | もしゃもしゃ moshamosha | tousled; shaggy (hair); scraggly (beard) |
| 見すぼらしい | みすぼらしい misuborashii | shabby; unsightly; unkempt |
| 茫々 | ぼうぼう boubou | unkempt (hair, beard, etc.); shaggy; scraggly |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unkempt”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.