酷こく薄はく

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Meanings

Describes a person, attitude, or action that is coldly cruel, lacking compassion or mercy. Often used in literary or formal contexts.

彼かれの酷こく薄はくな言こと葉ばに、彼かの女じょは深ふかく傷きずついた。
She was deeply hurt by his cruel words.
歴れき史しには酷こく薄はくな支し配はい者しゃの記き録ろくが多おおく残のこっている。
History holds many records of callous rulers.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Kanji

酷cruel, severe, atrocious
薄dilute, thin, weak (tea)
刻engrave, cut fine, chop

Related words

残ざん酷こく
残酷 is the common word for 'cruel' in everyday speech; 酷薄 is more literary and emphasizes cold-heartedness rather than physical brutality.
冷れい酷こく
冷酷 also means 'cruel' with a nuance of coldness, but is more common than 酷薄 and can be used in wider contexts.

Word family

残ざん忍にん酷こく薄はく
cruel; heartless; brutal; atrocious
酷こく薄はく無む情じょう
cold-hearted; merciless; ruthless

Written forms

酷こく薄はくUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; 酷 (cruel) + 薄 (thin/meager) suggests harshness.
刻こく薄はく
Variant kanji form using 刻 (carve/cutting); less common but attested.

Etymology

Compound of 酷 (cruel, severe) and 薄 (thin, meager), suggesting a lack of warmth or compassion. The variant 刻薄 uses 刻 (carve, cutting) with a similar figurative sense. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.