苦々しい・苦苦しい|にがにがしいniganigashii[5]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
苦々しい苦々しい is the more common written form; it describes something unpleasant, disgusting, loathsome, or shameful and is the form learners are most likely to encounter in writing.
苦苦しい苦苦しい is a less common written variant of 苦々しい with the same unpleasant or shameful sense; you may encounter it in writing, but it is not the usual choice for learners.
Definitions
- i-adjectiveunpleasant; disgusting; loathsome; shameful; scandalous
Conjugation
| Plain form | 苦々しい（にがにがしい） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 苦々しいです（にがにがしいです） |
| Negative (kunai) | 苦々しくない（にがにがしくない） |
| polite (ku arimasen) | 苦々しくありません（にがにがしくありません） |
| Past (katta) | 苦々しかった（にがにがしかった） |
| Past negative (kunakatta) | 苦々しくなかった（にがにがしくなかった） |
| Te form (kute) | 苦々しくて（にがにがしくて） |
| Adverbial (ku) | 苦々しく（にがにがしく） |
| Conditional (kereba) | 苦々しければ（にがにがしければ） |
| kattara | 苦々しかったら（にがにがしかったら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym不愉快ふゆかいNeutralNeutral: simply feeling unpleasant or uncomfortable. Unlike 「苦々しい」, it carries no tinge of disdain toward something you disapprove of.
- Synonym忌々しいいまいましいNeutralHateful and infuriating: anger so strong you feel like cursing. Emotionally more intense than 「苦々しい」.
- Antonym快いこころよいWrittenWritten/formal: describes a breeze, a sound, or a mood as pleasant, as in 「快い風」. The direct opposite of the unpleasant 「苦々しい」.
- Antonym心地よいここちよいNeutralComfortable and pleasant; the opposite of the repulsive 「苦々しい」. Common in both speech and writing.
Use 「苦々しい」 for bitter displeasure at something you disapprove of, often as 「苦々しく思う」 or 「苦々しい表情」. For plain unpleasantness use 「不愉快」; for hateful, infuriating things use 「忌々しい」. 「快い」 and 「心地よい」 are its pleasant opposites.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
