bokeh

American  

[boh-kuh, boh-key] / ˈboʊ kə, ˈboʊˌkeɪ /

noun

1. the blurry quality in the out-of-focus parts of a photograph, regarded as an aesthetic effect rendered by a particular lens or its digital simulation.

   This lens creates beautifully sharp images with delightful bokeh that glows and diffuses into the background.

---

Etymology

Origin of bokeh

First recorded in 1995–2000; from Japanese boke “fuzziness, blurring,” shortening of pinboke “state of being out of focus”

Example Sentences

Its use of a claustrophobic frame, swirly bokeh and color bias celluloid deepen a mother’s downward spiral.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

And, at f/1.2, that razor-thin sharpness immediately falls off a cliff to some lovely bokeh.

From The Verge • Jun. 16, 2022

Another processing-intensive use case on the X80 Pro is a “cinematic video bokeh” mode designed to emulate the oval bokeh seen in scenes with shallow depth of field shot on Zeiss anamorphic lenses.

From The Verge • May 18, 2022

A vibrant texture of blues and gold accentuates Roxanne’s whimsical radiance with the cinematographer turning to long lenses, flares and a blooming bokeh blur to illuminate the transcendent feeling of being swept off her feet.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2021

One bright spot is that Motorola’s extra features are focused on fun little effects that are appropriate for this camera instead of promising perfect bokeh on portrait shots.

From The Verge • Feb. 13, 2020