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Words Kanji Guides About

待まちぼうけ

also: まちぼけ

ま

ち

ぼ

う

け

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

waiting in vain; being stood up

Describes the situation of waiting for someone who never shows up. Often used in the phrase 待ちぼうけを食う (to be left waiting).

彼かれは一いち時じ間かんも待まちぼうけを食くった。
He was left waiting for an hour.
約やく束そくの時じ間かんに誰だれも来こなくて、待まちぼうけだった。
Nobody came at the promised time, so I was stood up.

Written forms

待まちぼうけUsage96%
Standard spelling; the most common written form.
待ち惚けUsage4%
- まちぼうけ
  Ateji spelling using 惚け; rarely used.
- まちぼけ
待まちぼけ
Alternate reading まちぼけ; less common.
まちぼけ

Kanji

待wait, depend on
惚fall in love with, admire, grow senile

Similar words

すっぽかす
すっぽかす is a verb meaning to intentionally skip or stand someone up, while 待ちぼうけ is the resulting state of being left waiting.

Etymology

Compound of 待ち (machi, 'waiting') and ぼうけ, a sound shift from ほうけ (惚け, 'absent-mindedness'). The exact derivation of ぼうけ is uncertain, but it conveys the idea of waiting idly until one becomes dazed.