Japanese word

憎い

Pronunciation

Romajinikui

Meaning

  • i-adjectivehateful

Example

あの人が憎いです。a no hito ga niku i de su

I hate that person.

Illustration for 憎い (hateful)

More examples

昔の友人が幸せに暮らしているのが憎いです。mukashi no yū jin ga shiawa se ni ku ra shi te i ru no ga niku i de su

I hate that my old friend is living happily.

Core concept

Describes a target of deep personal hatred or resentment, not merely ordinary dislike.

Common phrases

  • 憎い相手niku i ai te

    a person I hate

  • 憎い敵niku i teki

    an enemy I hate

Similar words

憎らしいnikurashii: Describes a person or thing that causes strong dislike, irritation, or anger.
恨めしいurameshii: Describes a person or thing that is deeply resented because of pain, loss, or an unwanted situation.

Definition in Japanese

相手や物事に対して、強い嫌悪や恨みの気持ちを抱いているさま。ai te ya mono goto ni tai shi te tsuyo i ken o ya ura mi no ki mo chi o ida i te i ru sa ma

Word origin

The native Japanese word 憎い (nikui) continues the classical adjective 憎し (nikushi) and is connected with the verb 憎む (nikumu), meaning "to hate".

Usage tips

  • In conversational Japanese, 憎い演出 (nikui enshutsu) describes a deliberately effective touch that earns grudging admiration rather than expressing literal hatred.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word