ほろり

Appears to be root ほろ (horo, “little bit; drip, drop”) + adverb-forming り (ri), in turn likely from あり (ari, “to be”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”), and also the classical form, of modern verb ある (aru, “is, are”).

Cognate with the ほろ (horo) root in terms like 滅びる (horobiru, “to die; to die out, to become extinct; to fall apart, to collapse”), ほろほろ (horohoro, “spreadingly, spillingly; messily, all over the place”, adverb).^[1] Probably connected with the little bit meaning of ほろ (horo), from the sense of something falling into smaller pieces. Probably also cognate with ぼろ (boro, “shabby, tattered, ragged; rags”); ぼろぼろ (boroboro, “shabby, ragged, tattered; in drops, drippingly, tearingly”); ぽろり (porori), ぽろぽろ (poroporo, “drippingly, tearingly”, implying bigger tears or drops than boroboro).

First cited to 1430.^[2]

• (Tokyo) ほろり (Nakadaka – )^[3]
• (Tokyo) ほろり (Odaka – )^[3]
• IPA^(key):

ほろり • (horori) 

1. evocative of something light or fragile falling gently in a wafting or fluttering fashion

   葉(は)っぱがほろりと落(お)ちた

   happa ga horori to ochita

   a leaf fell gently

2. evocative of a single tear falling from one's eyes

   お別(わか)れの手(て)紙(がみ)を読(よ)みながら涙(なみだ)がほろりとこぼれた。

   Owakare no tegami o yominagara namida ga horori to koboreta.

   A single tear spilled from her eye as she read the breakup letter.

3. evocative of moving one's body gently or stepping lightly

   ほろりと踏(ふ)む

   horori to fumu

   to tread lightly

4. evocative of one's emotions being affected in a sentimental fashion: movingly, touchingly

   あの話(はなし)は読(よ)み返(かえ)すと何(なん)だかほろりと来(き)てしまいます。

   Ano hanashi wa yomikaesu to nan da ka horori to kite shimaimasu.

   Re-reading that story, I get a little sentimental.

5. from the way that a feeling of intoxication can creep up on one, or from how a tipsy person moves: in a slightly drunk or buzzed fashion, tipsily

   ほろりと酔(よ)っている

   horori to yotte iru

   slightly drunk

6. so soft or tender that something falls apart

   ほろりと柔(やわ)らかい肉(にく)

   horori to yawarakai niku

   melt-in-your-mouth meat / meat so tender it falls off the bone

Usually followed by the adverbial particle と (to). Used in conjunction with the verb する (suru, “to do”) to modify a noun as a preceding adjectival phrase, or as a predicate:

• ほろりとさせる映(えい)画(が)を見(み)て、彼(かれ)はほろりとした

  horori to saseru eiga o mite, kare wa horori to shita

  watching the touching movie, he was moved

Occasionally found as a bare adverb with no particle.

• ほろり酔(よ)う、涙(なみだ)がほろり零(こぼ)れる

  horori you, namida ga horori koboreru

  to get slightly drunk, a single tear falls

Note that this term often does not translate directly into English: it might become an adjective in translation, or it might vanish altogether with the meaning conveyed by other terms or constructions.

• ほろっと (horotto)

• ほろ (horo)
• ほろほろ (horohoro)
• はらり (harari)