厳きびしい

き

び

し

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

厳しい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	厳きびしい	厳きびしくない
Polite	厳きびしいです	厳きびしくないですalso 厳きびしくありません
Past polite	厳きびしかったです	厳きびしくなかったですalso 厳きびしくありませんでした
Past	厳きびしかった	厳きびしくなかった
Te-form	厳きびしくて	厳きびしくなくて
Adverbial	厳きびしく
Conditional	厳きびしければ	厳きびしくなければ
Tara conditional	厳きびしかったら	厳きびしくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

strict; severe; rigorous

Describes rules, people, training, or conditions that are demanding and leave little room for leniency.

彼かれの父ちち親おやはとても厳きびしい。
His father is very strict.
この学がっ校こうは校こう則そくが厳きびしい。
This school has strict rules.

i-adjective

hard; difficult; tough

Used when a situation, task, or prospect is challenging and success is not easy.

この問もん題だいは私わたしには厳きびしい。
This problem is difficult for me.
今いまの実じつ力りょくでは優ゆう勝しょうは厳きびしい。
With my current ability, winning the championship is tough.

i-adjective

harsh; severe; intense

Describes natural conditions like cold, heat, or weather that are extreme and hard to endure.

今年ことしの冬ふゆは厳きびしい寒さむさだ。
The cold this winter is severe.
厳きびしい暑あつさが続つづいている。
The intense heat continues.

See all 1,342 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に厳きびしいto be strict with someone
彼かれは部ぶ下かに厳きびしい。
He is strict with his subordinates.
〈事こと〉が厳きびしいfor a situation to be tough or difficult
うちの会かい社しゃの経けい営えい状じょう況きょうは厳きびしい。
Our company's financial situation is dire.
寒さむさ・暑あつさが厳きびしいfor the cold/heat to be severe
今年ことしの冬ふゆは寒さむさが厳きびしい。
This winter's cold has been brutal.
厳きびしい目めで見みるto look at something with a critical, strict eye
先せん生せいは生せい徒との作さく品ひんを厳きびしい目めで見みた。
The teacher scrutinized the student's work critically.
〈事こと〉に厳きびしい規き則そくがあるthere are strict rules regarding something
この学がっ校こうには服ふく装そうに厳きびしい規き則そくがある。
This school has strict rules about dress.

Expressions

厳きびしい批ひ評ひょうsevere criticism; harsh critique
厳きびしい暑あつさintense heat; severe heat
他た人にんに厳きびしく自じ分ぶんに甘あまいhard on others but easy on oneself

Kanji

厳stern, strictness, severity
酷cruel, severe, atrocious

Related words· 18

厳げん格かくN1sense 1
厳格 is a formal, almost bookish word for strictness (esp. of rules or moral discipline), while 厳しい is the everyday adjective usable for people, weather, or situations alike.
過か酷こくN1sense 3
過酷 stresses extreme, almost cruel harshness (of conditions or treatment), whereas 厳しい covers a wider range from mild strictness to severe hardship.
難むずかしいN5sense 2
難しい means difficult due to complexity or required skill, while 厳しい implies difficulty caused by harsh standards, strict rules, or tough conditions.
きついN3
厳しい is the more formal word for strict rules or harsh conditions, while きつい is the colloquial term covering tight fit, intensity, and demanding situations.

Show 14 more

厳げん
厳しい is the everyday adjective for 'strict' or 'severe', while 厳 is a literary, classical form used mainly in formal writing.
シビアN1
厳しい is the native Japanese word for strict or harsh, used broadly for people, rules, or conditions, while シビア is a loanword often reserved for demanding, unsparing standards in evaluation or business contexts.
厳げん重じゅうN2
厳しい is a common i-adjective for strictness in people, training, or conditions generally, while 厳重 is more formal and typically describes rigorous rules, security, or enforcement systems.
スパルタ
厳しい is the general, everyday word for 'strict', while スパルタ specifically evokes an intense, no-mercy Spartan-style regimen.
凛りん
凛 (as in 凛とした寒さ) describes a sharp, invigorating coldness, while 厳しい describes harsh, severe weather more generally.
険けわしいN2
厳しい means strict or severe, often for rules or training, while 険しい emphasizes a grim, stern appearance or harsh situation.
ハードN2
厳しい is a native adjective for strict or harsh conditions, while ハード is the borrowed katakana word often used for training, schedules, or workloads.
痛つう烈れつN1
厳しい is a general word for strict or severe (rules, people, conditions), whereas 痛烈 is used specifically for harsh verbal criticism or attacks.
手て痛いたい
厳しい is a general word meaning strict or harsh, while 手痛い is narrower, emphasizing a painful, damaging blow or defeat.
厳げん密みつN1
厳しい describes general severity or harshness (a strict teacher, harsh weather), while 厳密 specifically describes exactness in rules, definitions, or standards.
苦くるしいN3
厳しい describes harsh or strict external conditions or judgment, while 苦しい focuses on the strain felt by the person enduring the situation.
やかましいN3
厳しい is the neutral, common word for 'strict/severe', while 喧しい (やかましい) in this sense adds a nuance of nagging or fussy insistence.
つらいN3
厳しい describes harsh, strict conditions or people, while 辛い emphasizes how hard something is to endure.
酷こく
厳しい means strict or demanding but doesn't necessarily imply cruelty or unfairness, whereas 酷 specifically conveys that a demand or treatment feels unjust or harsh.

Opposites· 12

甘あまいN5sense 1
甘い describes being lenient or indulgent, the direct opposite of 厳しい's strictness toward people or rules.
楽らくN4sense 2
楽 describes a situation that is easy or comfortable, contrasting with 厳しい's sense of a tough, demanding situation.
穏おだやかN3sense 3
穏やか describes mild, calm weather or conditions, the opposite of 厳しい's harsh, extreme weather sense.

Show 9 more

優やさしいN5
厳しい means strict or severe, the opposite of the gentle, forgiving quality of 優しい.
生なまぬるいN1
厳しい means strict or severe, the opposite of the lenient, insufficiently firm quality criticized by 生ぬるい.
ちょろい
厳しい means 'strict', contrasting with ちょろい's sense of being too lax or lenient.
ぬるいN4
厳しい describes a strict, demanding attitude or policy, the opposite of ぬるい's lax, too-easygoing stance.
寛かん大だいN1
厳しい describes being strict or harsh, contrasting with 寛大's tolerant and forgiving nature.
柔にゅう和わ
厳しい describes a strict or severe manner or personality, contrasting with the soft, kind manner described by 柔和.
柔やわらかいN4
厳しい describes a strict or harsh manner, the opposite of 柔らかい's gentle, mild sense.
のどかN1
厳しい describes harsh, severe weather, contrasting with the mild, gentle weather described by のどか.
緩ゆるやかN1
厳しい means 'strict,' the opposite of 緩やか when describing rules, standards, or supervision.

Don't confuse with

厳おごそかN1
厳しい means strict or severe, describing a harsh standard, person, or condition, while 厳か describes a solemn, dignified atmosphere; the two share the kanji 厳 but differ in meaning.

Word family

手て厳きびしい
harsh; severe; strict
厳きびしさ
severity; strictness; intensity

Written forms

厳きびしいUsage88%
Standard kanji spelling.
きびしいUsage11%
キビシイUsage<1%
酷きびしいUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 厳 (gen, ogosoka) means 'stern' or 'solemn', and the adjective きびしい has been used since Old Japanese with the sense of 'severe' or 'strict'.