とげとげしい

と

げ

と

げ

し

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

i-adjective

sharp; harsh; hostile; stinging; biting; cutting; barbed

usually written using kana alone

Describes words, tone, attitude, or mood that is prickly, caustic, or deliberately hurtful, like thorns. Often used for remarks or a person's manner.

彼かれのとげとげしい言いい方かたに傷きず

つい

た

。

I was hurt by his sharp way of speaking.

会かい議ぎの雰ふん囲い気きがとげとげしくなった。

The atmosphere of the meeting became hostile.

Written forms

とげとげしいUsage63%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 刺々しい and 刺刺しい are rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
刺とげ々とげしいUsage23%
Kanji form using 刺 (thorn) with repetition mark; rarely used in modern writing.
トゲトゲしいUsage14%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
刺とげ刺とげしい
Kanji form without repetition mark; even rarer than 刺々しい.

Kanji

刺thorn, pierce, stab

Similar words

刺とげ々とげしい
Same word, but the kanji spelling is rare and may be unfamiliar; the kana form is strongly preferred.
とげのある
Literally 'having thorns', can also mean 'barbed' or 'sharp' in a figurative sense, but とげとげしい emphasizes a more consistently prickly or hostile manner.
辛しん辣らつ
Means 'bitter' or 'severe' (criticism, remarks). 辛辣 is more formal and often used for written criticism, while とげとげしい is colloquial and describes tone or attitude.

Etymology

Derived from とげ (thorn) reduplicated with the adjective-forming suffix しい, literally 'thorn-thorn-like'. The figurative sense of prickly or harsh speech is a natural extension.