Tsundere
//ˈ(t)sun.dəɹ.eɪ// adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fictional character who fits the archetype of being cold or even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warm and caring side. Japanese
"I usually draw very peaceful, happy manga, so it has been a real challenge for me to illustrate the vice president's death glare and Ri-chan's subtle tsundere attitude."
- 2 a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warmer side over time. wordnet
- 3 a character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warmer side over time. wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Showing qualities typical of a tsundere.
"Ah, the cactus. / Truly the most tsundere of plants."
Example
More examples"Mary usually hates tsundere characters, but she has a soft spot for Nina."
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese ツンデレ (tsundere), from つんつん (tsun-tsun, “in a cross, aloof, or standoffish manner”, adverb) + でれでれ (dere-dere, “in a lovey-dovey, infatuated, or lovestruck manner”, adverb).
More for "tsundere"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.