涩
astringent; rough; obscure
Meanings
3 senses · 15 examplesadjective
astringent; puckery
Describes the taste of unripe fruit, alum, or certain tannin-rich foods.
Unripe persimmons taste puckery when you eat them.
This strong tea has a slight astringent taste.
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The freshly brewed hawthorn juice is a bit puckery.
The peel of unripe walnuts has a strong astringent feeling.
Green plums soaked in salt water lose their puckery taste.
adjective
rough; stiff; resistant
Describes mechanical devices, fabrics, or surfaces with high friction.
The axle is stiff, it needs oiling.
This new pair of jeans has rough fabric; it will soften after a few wears.
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The door lock has become stiff from rust and is hard to open.
The skateboard bearings lack oil, so sliding feels rough.
The drawer that hasn't been used in a long time sticks when you pull it.
adjective
obscure; hard to understand
literaryUsed for literary works, academic texts, or language that is overly complex.
This ancient poem uses too many allusions, ordinary people can hardly understand it.
The language of this academic paper is overly obscure and hard to read.
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The writing style of this philosophy work is somewhat obscure.
This writer's early works had a relatively obscure style.
If legal provisions are written too obscurely, the public will have trouble following them.