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Word 1829 of 4449

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ねちねち

persistently, naggingly

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. ねちねちと嫌味を言う。

    ねちねちといやみをいう。

    He makes persistent snide remarks.

  2. 部長は同じ失敗をねちねち責め続けた。

    ぶちょうはおなじしっぱいをねちねちせめつづけた。

    The manager kept harping on about the same mistake.

  3. ねちねちした言い方をされると、こちらまで気が滅入る。

    ねちねちしたいいかたをされると、こちらまできがめいる。

    Being spoken to in that nagging way gets me down too.

Common patterns

ねちねち(と)責める
to keep nagging at someone
ねちねちした性格
a persistent, cloying personality
ねちねち文句を言う
to grumble on and on

Memory tip

The sound suggests something sticky that will not come off, and that is the feel of ねちねち: criticism that keeps clinging long after it should have ended. It is always negative and almost always about speech or personality, never about food.

Quick check

1 / 1Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does ねちねち mean?