ひどい

• Reading: ひどい
• Romaji: hidoi
• Pronunciation: /çi.do.i/

Meaning

Terrible; awful; cruel; harsh. Describes something extremely bad or unfair.

An i-adjective with a wide range of negative meanings. Can describe weather (ひどい雨, terrible rain), treatment (ひどいことを言う, to say cruel things), conditions (ひどい状態, terrible state), or severity (風邪がひどい, a bad cold). Usually written in hiragana despite having the kanji 酷い. Very common in emotional reactions.

Examples

1. 昨日はひどい雨で電車が止まった。 Yesterday the rain was so terrible that the trains stopped running.
2. そんなひどいことを言わないでください。 Please don't say such awful things.
3. 風邪がひどくなったので病院に行きました。 My cold got worse, so I went to the hospital.

Usage Guide

Context: complaints, weather, emotions

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Written in kanji as 酷い, where 酷 combines 酉 (tori, wine jar) with 告 (koku, to tell/announce). Originally related to harsh or bitter flavour — extended to mean cruel, severe, or terrible.

Cultural Context

Era: Early Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal