KOTTE-RI こってり
Meanings
1. Describes a flavor, color, or application that is rich, heavy, intense, or abundant to the point of lingering.
2. In expressions about scolding, describes being reprimanded thoroughly and at length.
Examples
1. At the ramen chain Tenkaippin, I only order ramen with their rich, heavy kotteri broth.
ラーメンチェーン店の天下一品ではこってりスープのラーメンしか注文しない。
1. My son eats toast with butter and Nutella spread on thick. I can’t believe it.
息子はトーストにバターとnutellaをこってり塗って食べる。信じられない。
2. My crazy boss gave me a severe dressing-down for two solid hours.
頭のおかしい部長から、２時間にもわたってこってり（油を）しぼられた。
Dogmatic Opinion
For food—especially ramen soup—KOTTE-RI suggests strong flavor together with richness, viscosity, or oiliness.
Its natural opposite is ASSA-RI, which describes something lighter, milder, and less heavy.
Sense 2 appears especially in the idiom KOTTE-RI ABURA O SHIBORARERU, literally “to have the oil thoroughly squeezed out of you,” meaning to be scolded severely and at length.
Proximate Expression
Persistently(thick/rich/heavy/deep/strong) taste/flavor
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
For food, rich, heavy, intensely flavored, or thick and rich may work. “こってりしたラーメン” is naturally “ramen with a rich, heavy broth.” In the scolding idiom, English expressions such as get a thorough scolding, get a severe dressing-down, or be chewed out may fit. The food sense is far more central for learners.
