noun

bokeh

BOH-kuh

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Bokeh (noun) means the pleasing quality of the blurred parts of a photograph, especially the out-of-focus background. Example: “Photographers often choose wide-aperture lenses to get smooth bokeh in portraits.”

noun

The pleasing quality of the blurred parts of a photograph, especially the out-of-focus background.

"Photographers often choose wide-aperture lenses to get smooth bokeh in portraits."

"The fairy lights behind her turned into soft circles of bokeh."

"Reviewers praised the lens for its creamy bokeh."

How to use bokeh

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe look of the blurry background in a photo.

When to use it

It is a specialist photography term rather than everyday vocabulary.

Memory tip

Say it as two roughly equal-stress syllables, not like the English word joke.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

creamy bokeh bokeh balls

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “bokeh” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Photographers often choose wide-aperture lenses to get smooth _____ in portraits.

Etymology

Bokeh comes from Japanese, borrowed from the word boke, meaning blur, itself formed from the verb bokeru, to blur. English adds a silent final h purely to steer pronunciation, so speakers do not rhyme it with words like joke. The spelling was popularised by an editor writing in a photography magazine in the late 1990s, about a year after the term itself had started circulating.

Origin: Japanese

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce bokeh?

Say it as BOH-kuh, with roughly equal weight on both syllables, similar to saying bone followed by Kenneth.

What does bokeh mean in photography?

It describes how pleasing the blurred, out-of-focus areas of a photo look, not how sharp the in-focus subject is.

Where does the word bokeh come from?

It comes from the Japanese word boke, meaning blur.

What is the meaning of bokeh?

"bokeh" (noun) means the pleasing quality of the blurred parts of a photograph, especially the out-of-focus background.