Chinese word

苦笑

Pronunciation

Pinyinkǔ xiào

Meaning

  • verbsmile bitterly

Example

听到这个解释，我只能苦笑。tīng dào zhè ge jiě shì wǒ zhǐ néng kǔ xiào

Hearing this explanation, I could only smile bitterly.

Illustration for 苦笑 (smile bitterly)

More examples

大家听完后只能苦笑着摇头。dà jiā tīng wán hòu zhǐ néng kǔ xiào zhe yáo tóu

After hearing it, everyone could only smile bitterly and shake their heads.

Core concept

A smile that appears when a situation feels awkward, difficult, or unavoidable, carrying tension instead of real pleasure.

Common phrases

  • 苦笑着说kǔ xiào zhe shuō

    say with a bitter smile

  • 只能苦笑zhǐ néng kǔ xiào

    can only smile bitterly

  • 无奈地苦笑wú nài dì kǔ xiào

    smile bitterly in resignation

Similar words

微笑wēi xiào: Smile gently to show calm friendliness or warm goodwill.
笑xiào: Laugh or smile to show happiness or amusement.
冷笑lěng xiào: Give a short, cold laugh that shows contempt for someone.
嘲笑cháo xiào: Laugh at someone to mock and make fun of them.

Definition in Chinese

因尴尬、无奈或为难而露出带有苦涩或勉强意味的笑容。yīn gān gà wú nài huò wéi nán ér lù chū dài yǒu kǔ sè huò mián qiǎng yì wèi de xiào róng

Word origin

The compound 苦 (kǔ, "bitter") + 笑 (xiào, "laugh") joins hardship with laughter, so it describes a smile shaped by discomfort rather than joy.

Usage tips

  • For English speakers, "bitter" can suggest anger or resentment, but 苦笑 (kǔxiào, "bitter smile") also covers an awkward or helpless smile without strong anger.

Opposites

  • 大笑dà xiàolaugh heartilyverb

Related words

  • 苦笑不得kǔ xiào bù décannot help but smile bitterlyidiom

Word lists with this word