NYOKKI-RI にょっきり
Meanings
Describes a long, narrow object sticking up, shooting out, or rising conspicuously above its surroundings.
Examples
Horsetail shoots are poking straight up out of the ground.
つくしがにょっきり芽を出している。
A skyscraper rises conspicuously above the surrounding buildings.
高層ビルがにょっきりとそびえている。
If you make Mom angry, horns will suddenly sprout out of her head and she’ll turn into an ogre.
ママを怒らせると、にょっきり角が生えて、鬼になっちゃうよ。
Dogmatic Opinion
The shape is long and narrow.
Absolute measurements do not matter very much. What matters is that the object is relatively tall or elongated compared with what surrounds it.
Plants such as mushrooms and bamboo have a particular tendency to become NYOKKI-RI in Japanese.
The word draws attention to the way one elongated thing protrudes clearly from its surroundings.
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
Stick up, jut out, poke up, shoot up, rise above, and sprout may fit. NYOKKI-RI is especially visual: something relatively long and narrow projects conspicuously upward from the surrounding scene.
