しつこい

i-adjective

persistent, insistent; heavy (taste)

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	しつこい	しつこくない
Past	しつこかった	しつこくなかった
て form	しつこくて	しつこくなくて
Adverbial	しつこく	—
Conditional ば	しつこければ	しつこくなければ
Conditional たら	しつこかったら	しつこくなかったら

1. persistent, insistent, tenacious

Describes someone who keeps repeating the same request, action, or question in an annoying or stubborn way. Often has a negative connotation.

しつこく質問(しつもん)されて困(こま)った。

I was troubled by persistent questioning.

しつこい勧誘(かんゆう)は迷惑(めいわく)だ。

Persistent solicitation is a nuisance.

断(ことわ)ったのに、しつこく誘(さそ)ってくるのでうんざりした。

I was fed up because they kept insistently inviting me even though I had refused.

2. heavy, greasy, rich (of taste)

Describes food or flavors that are too rich, oily, or heavy, making one feel full or uncomfortable.

この料理(りょうり)はちょっとしつこい。

This dish is a bit too heavy/rich.

年(とし)を取(と)るとしつこい味(あじ)が苦手(にがて)になる。

As you get older, you tend to dislike heavy/rich flavors.

このラーメンは油(あぶら)がしつこくて最後(さいご)まで食(た)べられなかった。

This ramen was so greasy that I couldn't finish it.

ADJECTIVE FORMS:

しつこい (dictionary form)
しつこく (adverbial form)
しつこくない (negative)
しつこかった (past)
しつこさ (noun form)

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

しつこい勧誘(かんゆう) - persistent solicitation
しつこいセールス - pushy sales
しつこく質問(しつもん)する - to question persistently
しつこく付(つ)きまとう - to persistently follow/stalk

FOOD CONTEXT:

しつこい味(あじ) - heavy/rich taste
油(あぶら)がしつこい - greasy, oily
しつこくない/あっさりした - light, refreshing (antonym)

NUANCE: When describing people's behavior, しつこい is typically negative, implying annoyance. However, in some contexts it can suggest tenacity in a neutral way.

SYNONYMS/RELATED:

執拗(しつよう) - persistent (more formal)
くどい - repetitive, long-winded
あっさり - light (antonym for taste)

Related Words

Synonym: 執拗(しつよう) (persistent, tenacious (more formal))

Related: くどい (repetitive, long-winded; heavy (of taste))

Antonym: あっさり (light, plain (of taste/manner))

general

Added 2026.1.18 3:46 · Revised 2026.7.16 0:25

06000/06498_shitsukoi