過酷(かこく)

かこく
na-adjective
harsh, severe
1. harsh, severe, grueling, brutal
Extremely difficult, demanding, or unforgiving, whether describing conditions, treatment, or circumstances.
過酷(かこく)な環境(かんきょう)で働(はたら)く。
To work in a harsh environment.
砂漠(さばく)での訓練(くんれん)は過酷(かこく)を極(きわ)めた。
The training in the desert was extremely grueling.
過酷(かこく)な労働(ろうどう)条件(じょうけん)の改善(かいぜん)を求(もと)める声(こえ)が高(たか)まっている。
Calls for improvement of harsh working conditions are growing.

WORD FORMATION:
過(か) (excessive) + 酷(こく) (cruel, harsh) = excessively harsh.

GRAMMAR:
As a na-adjective: 過酷(かこく)な環境(かんきょう) (a harsh environment), 過酷(かこく)な運命(うんめい) (a cruel fate).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 過酷(かこく)な環境(かんきょう): harsh environment
  • 過酷(かこく)な労働(ろうどう): grueling labor
  • 過酷(かこく)な訓練(くんれん): harsh training
  • 過酷(かこく)な運命(うんめい): cruel fate
  • 過酷(かこく)を極(きわ)める: to be extremely harsh

SIMILAR WORDS:
厳(きび)しい is a more general word for "strict/severe" that applies to a wider range of situations. 過酷(かこく) specifically conveys extreme harshness or brutality and is more literary in tone.

general
Added 2026.2.11 18:22
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