酷こく

こ

く

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

Used when a demand, condition, treatment, judgment, or situation is harsh to the point of feeling cruel or unfair. As a noun it is more limited and often appears in formal set phrases such as 酷を極める.

失しっ敗ぱいしたばかりの彼かれにそれを言いうのは酷こくだ。
It would be harsh to say that to him right after he failed.
新しん人じんにこの量りょうの仕し事ごとを任まかせるのは酷こくな話はなしだ。
It is unfair to put this much work on a newcomer.
当とう時じの労ろう働どう環かん境きょうは酷こくを極きわめた。
The working conditions at the time were extremely harsh.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉には酷こくな〈事こと〉something too harsh for a particular person
それは彼かれには酷こくな要よう求きゅうだ。
That's a demand too harsh for him.
〈事こと〉と言いうのは酷こくだit's harsh to say/demand that
一人ひとりでやれというのは酷こくだ。
It's harsh to tell him to do it alone.
酷こくな仕し打うちharsh treatment
会かい社しゃから酷こくな仕し打うちを受うけた。
He received harsh treatment from the company.
酷こくな運うん命めいa harsh, cruel fate
彼かの女じょは酷こくな運うん命めいをたどった。
She met a harsh fate.
酷こくを極きわめるto be extremely harsh or severe
労ろう働どう条じょう件けんは酷こくを極きわめた。
The working conditions were extremely harsh.

Expressions

コクがあるfull-bodied; rich; robust in flavor
コクのあるfull-bodied; rich; robust (flavor)

Kanji

酷cruel, severe, atrocious

Related words

ひどいN4
ひどい is the common, everyday word for something awful or terrible, while 酷 is a more formal, literary word often used to modify nouns like 仕打ち or in set phrases.
過か酷こくN1
過酷 typically describes severe conditions such as harsh weather or brutal working environments, while 酷 more broadly covers any demand, judgment, or treatment felt to be unfair or cruel.
残ざん酷こくN1
残酷 explicitly means cruel or brutal, especially toward people or animals, and is stronger and more direct than the milder, more general 酷.
厳きびしいN4
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.

Word family· 22

残ざん酷こくN1
cruel; brutal; ruthless; merciless; inhuman
過か酷こくN1
severe; harsh; rigorous; cruel
冷れい酷こくN1
cruel; coldhearted; ruthless; relentless
酷こく使し
exploitation; overuse; abuse
酷こく評ひょう
severe criticism; harsh review; panning

Show 13 more

酷こく似じ
striking resemblance; close similarity; bear a strong likeness
酷こく暑しょ
intense heat; severe heat; extreme heat
こっぴどい
really terrible; awful; extremely harsh
厳げん酷こく
severity; rigor; strictness
峻しゅん酷こく
severe; stern; unaffected by love
惨さん酷こく
atrocity; cruelty; brutality
酷こっ刑けい
severe punishment; harsh penalty
酷こく吏り
cruel official; harsh administrator
酷こっ寒かん
severe cold; bitter cold
酷こく悪あく
inhuman; wicked; evil
酷こく烈れつ
severity; harshness; intensity
酷こく熱ねつ
intense heat; severe heat
酷こく税ぜい
heavy taxation; oppressive taxes

See all 22 in Explore →

Written forms

酷こくUsage100%
Standard kanji form for this Sino-Japanese na-adjective and noun. Do not confuse it with 酷い, read ひどい.
こくUsage1%

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese word using the on-reading こく of 酷. The spelling is conventionally associated with severity, harshness, or cruelty; the precise historical development is not specified.