severe; stern; unaffected by love
Describes a personality that is harsh, strict, and emotionally cold; often used in literary or formal contexts.
彼の峻酷な態度に、部下たちは萎縮していた。
His stern attitude made his subordinates shrink back.
歴史書には、その王の峻酷な統治が記されている。
The history book records that king's severe rule.
Means 'cold-hearted, cruel'; 峻酷 focuses more on severity and sternness rather than outright cruelty.
Standard kanji form; 峻 means 'steep, severe' and 酷 means 'cruel, harsh'.
Variant using 刻 (carve, severe); less common but attested.
Composed of 峻 (steep, severe) and 酷 (cruel, harsh). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with a severe and unfeeling personality.