厳きびしい

き

び

し

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

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.

Kanji

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

Similar words

難むずかしい
難しい is the general word for 'difficult' in terms of complexity or skill required. 厳しい implies difficulty due to harsh conditions, high standards, or severity.
大たい変へん
大変 means 'tough' or 'hard' in a broad sense, often focusing on the effort or hardship involved. 厳しい emphasizes the strictness or severity of the situation.

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'.