Unpleasantly Full
だらけ says something is covered in or riddled with a thing, and that thing is always unwelcome.
- 机が埃だらけだ。(The desk is covered in dust.)
The negative slant is absolute. ×花だらけ is odd unless you dislike flowers; use いっぱい for something pleasant.
Against いっぱい and まみれ
| Pattern | Sense |
|---|---|
| いっぱい | full of — neutral or positive |
| だらけ | full of something bad, scattered throughout |
| まみれ | coated in a liquid or powder — physical only |
泥まみれ is covered in mud all over the surface. 間違いだらけ works because mistakes are scattered through a document; ×間違いまみれ does not, because mistakes are not a substance.
Abstract Nouns Are Fine
Unlike まみれ, だらけ takes abstractions comfortably: 借金だらけ (deep in debt), 謎だらけ (full of mysteries).
Form
Noun + だらけ, with no connector. The result behaves as a noun, so it takes だ or の: 傷だらけの車.