苦
bitter; painful; difficult; diligently
Meanings
7 senses · 35 examplesadjective
bitter (taste); having a sharp, acrid taste
Describes tastes similar to bile or Coptis chinensis, opposite of sweet flavors.
This medicine is extremely bitter.
Coptis has a very bitter taste.
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This coffee will be bitter without sugar.
Good medicine tastes bitter but benefits the illness.
Although bitter melon is bitter, it is very nutritious.
adjective
painful; suffering; miserable; hard
Describes physical or emotional discomfort, hardship, or suffering.
The bitter days of the past are gone forever.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
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She lives a difficult and bitter life.
Seeing the child suffer, the mother feels very distressed.
After suffering comes happiness; they finally succeeded.
verb
to make suffer; to cause distress
Used when someone causes another person to experience hardship or suffering.
Supporting a large family really made him suffer.
This matter caused suffering for all of us.
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Don't make the child suffer; buy him something nice to eat.
Years of hard work took a toll on his body.
Taking care of her sick parents caused her suffering for many years.
verb
to suffer from; to be troubled by
Used to express being troubled or afflicted by a particular problem or situation.
This area has long suffered from drought.
I have suffered from this illness for many years.
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Farmers are suffering from drought and hoping for rain.
Many students are troubled by not finding good jobs.
This city suffers from hot summers; the summers are extremely hot.
adverb
diligently; painstakingly; with great patience
Describes doing something with great effort, patience, and perseverance.
He earnestly advised his friend not to give up.
They worked diligently on the construction site all day.
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After painstaking thought, he finally found a solution.
She studied diligently and practiced hard, finally becoming an excellent dancer.
Scientists are diligently searching for a treatment for this disease.
adjective
excessively; too much; overdone
dialectDialectal usage describing something that has been excessively worn down or cut too short.
You cut your nails too short.
These shoes are too worn out to be repaired.
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This fabric has been used too much; it's already very thin.
If you sharpen the pencil tip too much, it breaks easily.
The hair was cut too short; it looks strange.
proper noun
Ku (surname)
Refers to the Chinese surname Ku/Ku.
His surname is Ku, which is not a very common last name.
Mr. Ku is our new colleague at the company.
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Do you know Teacher Ku?
The surname Ku originated in ancient times.
The Ku family of five lives on this street.