BESSHO-RI べっしょり
Meanings
Describes something being covered or noticeably wet with a fair amount of slightly viscous moisture.
Examples
Just thinking about the upcoming interview makes my palms so sweaty that I can’t put my handkerchief down.
これから面接だと思うと、手が汗でべっしょりになって、ハンカチが手放せない。
Dogmatic Opinion
My wife says that when she hears BESSHO-RI, the one thing she immediately imagines is French toast. Unfortunately, that association does not click for me at all.
BESSHO-RI itself is rarely found in dictionaries, which makes the disagreement interesting. Compared with BECCHA-RI and BECCHO-RI, I imagine a liquid with lower viscosity. On the other hand, BISSHO-RI and BICCHO-RI suggest the presence of a very large amount of water or other liquid.
So my own image of BESSHO-RI lies somewhere between those groups: a reasonable amount—though not necessarily an enormous amount—of relatively low-viscosity moisture.
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
There is no neat one-word English equivalent that preserves this fine sound-symbolic distinction. Depending on context, wet, very wet, soaked, sweaty, or damp and sticky may work. BESSHO-RI is uncommon, and even native speakers may have different personal associations with it; that variability is itself useful to know.
