One who obsesses about something or someone to an unhealthy extent, sacraficing most, if not all, of their social life. Often used (incorrectly) by American anime fans as a trendy term to describe themselves.
Correct usage: anata wa otaku desu. (You are a nerd.) Incorrect usage: I like anime, so I'm an otaku. (This is, however, correct if the person saying it has no life outside of anime.)
By Nosferatu
Japanese word/adjective which roughly translates into "infatuated", "extreme fanatic", or "obsessed to the point of being borderline deranged." mainly used to describe the Wapanese people who watch ridiculous amounts ofanime. they, in turn, will use the word to dsecribe themselves, as if they are actually proud of being otaku. they don't know that the word has a negative meaning to it.
1: I'm so otaku, I have all the latest Yu-Gi-Oh things, and I just bought the new Ayumi CD! So ureshii! 2: Jesus Christ...
By KRHimself
Someone who is obbsessed, and has no life outside of their obbsession. It's an insult in Japan. Mostly said like "anime otaku". Someone who is obbsessed with Japanese animation.
Not all otaku are bad.
By C-chan
In Japan, the term OTAKU is normally deragatory, meant as an insult. It basically means 'lifeless loser who never leaves their house'. In America and Canada, though, it is used to refer to anime/manga fans and sometimes video gamers. It is used to refer to somebody as a geek, opposed to a loser, and is not a deragatory meaning. So it is important that if you go to Japan that you do not use the word without clearly stating what you mean.
Canadian: I could tell you ANYTHING about anime! American: You are such an Otaku! Candian: I know, right! Japanese: Canadains and Americans are a little...odd...
By in-the-stars
A term that is miss-used by both the Japanese and other countries. In Japanese its the honorific of home. meaning the person is a shut-in. They also refer to a community that visit certain places such as akihabara, Tokyo train station, ect. Otaku in America and other places is a term to describe fanatic fans of a certain thing ,mostly anime. In japan there are also other types of otaku such as train otaku "IE train station", Bridge otaku, anime otaku, music otaku, ect... In America people think that it is being used wrong, but in actuality its just being used in the alternative term. In japan the term is sometimes refereed to as something really bad. But their is a growing population that take the name otaku with pride. Demonstrations are being held. ect ect...
EX. how can a train otaku be an "otaku" if he actually leaves his/her house to go look at trains. EX. how can an anime otaku be and "otaku" if he/she goes out to cosplay shops, akihabara, and other social events such as cons, "maid cafes", where the person HAS to meet other people.
By KoDuu