Meaning of 残酷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- cruel; harsh; merciless
How to use 残酷
残酷 describes harsh people, acts, and especially harsh situations or facts, like war, competition, or reality. A very common phrase is 残酷的现实 (cánkù de xiànshí), harsh reality. Example: 市场竞争很残酷。(Shìchǎng jìngzhēng hěn cánkù.) Market competition is very harsh.
残 (cán) means damaged or left in ruins, and 酷 (kù) means extreme or intense. Something that ruins people to an extreme degree is 残酷 (cánkù), cruel and merciless.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 残酷 and 残忍 (cánrěn). 残忍 is mostly about a person deliberately causing pain, while 残酷 also fits impersonal things like reality or competition. So 残酷的现实 sounds natural, but 残忍的现实 does not.
残酷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
残 cán · to destroy · 9 strokes
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酷 kù · ruthless · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 残酷.
| 残疾 | cánjí | disabled; handicapped |
| 残疾人 | cánjírén | disabled person |
| 残忍 | cánrěn | cruel; merciless; ruthless |
| 冷酷 | lěngkù | unfeeling; callous |
| 残留 | cánliú | to remain; to be left over; residual; remnant |
| 凶残 | xiōngcán | savage; cruel |
| 冷酷无情 | lěngkù-wúqíng | cold-hearted; unfeeling; callous |
| 残缺 | cánquē | badly damaged; shattered |
| 伤残 | shāngcán | disabled; maimed |
| 酷似 | kùsì | to strikingly resemble |
| 残骸 | cánhái | remains; wreckage |
| 残暴 | cánbào | brutal; vicious; ruthless |
Questions about 残酷
What does 残酷 mean?
残酷 (cánkù) means "cruel; harsh; merciless" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 残酷?
残酷 is made of 2 characters: 残 (9 strokes), 酷 (14 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 残酷 an HSK word?
Yes. 残酷 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 残酷 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 残酷 is written 殘酷.
Does 酷 in 残酷 have anything to do with 酷 meaning cool?
It is the same character. In 残酷 it keeps its older sense of extreme or severe, as in 冷酷 (lěngkù), unfeeling. The slang meaning cool came later, partly as a sound loan from English.
How is 残酷 different from 冷酷 (lěngkù)?
冷酷 stresses coldness and lack of feeling, like a callous person or a cold look. 残酷 stresses harshness that causes real damage or suffering, such as 残酷的战争 (cánkù de zhànzhēng), a brutal war.