Etymology

yandere

Y4A1N1D2E1R1E1

Today it means: A character, usually a girl, who has an obsessive and possessive side regarding their crush, ready to use violent (if not murderous) means to maintain an exclusive bond. Full definition →

Japanese ヤンデレ
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The story

  1. Japanese · borrowed fromヤンデレ
  2. English todayyandere

Borrowed from Japanese ヤンデレ (yandere), a portmanteau of 病んでる (yanderu), contraction of 病んでいる (yande iru), progressive tense of 病む (yamu, “to be sick”), and デレデレ (dere-dere, “in a lovey-dovey, infatuated, or lovestruck manner”, adverb). Developed on the model of tsundere (“being cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warm and caring side over time”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.