# 酷 — Cruel

Frequency rank 1382 / 2,608 in published Japanese.

Rarer in this ranking, but still part of the 2,608-character published set.

More common than 銭 (Coin), less common than 勧 (Recommend).

- On’yomi: こく
- Kun’yomi: —
- Radical: 酉 Wine (Kangxi 164)
- Frequency path: Level XI of XX

Alcohol on the left and an announce sign on the right — announcing harsh truths while drunk is cruel, the alcohol making words sharp and cutting.

In words:

- 酷い ひどい — cruel;awful;severe;very bad;serious;terrible;heavy;violent
- 冷酷 れいこく — cruelty;coldheartedness;relentless;ruthless
- 残酷 ざんこく — cruelty;harshness

[Study 酷](https://app.kanjidrift.com/study?kanji=%E9%85%B7)

[← Rank 1381: 勧 (Recommend)](https://kanjidrift.com/frequency/勧.md) · [Rank 1383: 銭 (Coin) →](https://kanjidrift.com/frequency/銭.md)

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