きつい

きつい

i-adjective

tight, harsh, intense

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	きつい	きつくない
Past	きつかった	きつくなかった
て form	きつくて	きつくなくて
Adverbial	きつく	—
Conditional ば	きつければ	きつくなければ
Conditional たら	きつかったら	きつくなかったら

1. tight, close-fitting

Too snug or constricting.

この靴(くつ)はきつい。

These shoes are too tight.

ズボンがきつくなった。

My pants have gotten tight.

太(ふと)ったので服(ふく)がきつい。

I gained weight so my clothes are tight.

2. harsh, severe

Strict or demanding.

きつい言(い)い方(かた)。

A harsh way of speaking.

性格(せいかく)がきつい人(ひと)だ。

That person has a harsh personality.

そんなきついことを言(い)わないでよ。

Don't say such harsh things.

3. intense, hard

Difficult to bear.

きつい仕事(しごと)だ。

It's a tough job.

この坂(さか)はきつい。

This slope is tough.

毎日(まいにち)残業(ざんぎょう)が続(つづ)いてきつい。

Working overtime every day is really hard.

きつい is an i-adjective with a wide range of meanings from physical tightness to emotional harshness.

FORMS:

Adverb: きつく
Noun form: きつさ

COMMON USES:

服(ふく)がきつい: clothes are tight
坂(さか)がきつい: the slope is steep/demanding
性格(せいかく)がきつい: personality is harsh
仕事(しごと)がきつい: work is tough/demanding
きつい言(い)い方(かた): harsh way of speaking
匂(にお)いがきつい: smell is strong/overpowering

SIMILAR WORDS:

きつい vs. 厳(きび)しい: きつい emphasizes difficulty or discomfort; 厳(きび)しい emphasizes strictness or severity

Related Words

Contrast: 厳(きび)しい (strict, severe)

general

Added 2026.1.9 17:23 · Revised 2026.5.20 23:12

02000/02342_kitsui