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.

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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, thanks to the f/1.4 aperture, I can choose whether the background is somewhat in focus or just a beautiful blur of bokeh.

From The Verge • Jun. 16, 2022

Hair and glasses remain a challenge for phone cameras and fake bokeh, so I’ll believe this when I see it.

From The Verge • Feb. 9, 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

Lastly, there’s the new camera system, which has a new 50-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor on the back for adding blurred bokeh effects to shots.

From The Verge • Nov. 18, 2021