Meaning
痛苦 describes physical or emotional pain and suffering. It can function as both an adjective meaning 'painful' or 'agonizing' and as a noun meaning 'pain' or 'suffering'. The word emphasizes the intensity of distress, whether from injury, illness, heartbreak, or difficult circumstances.
Usage
Native speakers use 痛苦 in both formal and informal contexts to describe serious suffering. It's more intense than simply 痛 (pain) or 苦 (bitter/hardship) alone. Common in discussions of emotional distress, difficult experiences, and physical agony. Often appears in phrases like 感到痛苦 (to feel pain/suffering) or 痛苦的经历 (painful experience).
Examples
- 01失去亲人的痛苦让他很难走出来。.The pain of losing a loved one made it very difficult for him to move on.
- 02她的脸上露出痛苦的表情。.A painful expression appeared on her face.
Characters
Common collocations
- 感到痛苦to feel pain/suffering
- 痛苦的经历painful experience
- 忍受痛苦to endure suffering
- 摆脱痛苦to escape from suffering
Antonyms
Origin
The combination of 痛 (pain) and 苦 (bitterness/suffering) creates an intensified compound that encompasses both physical and emotional distress. Both characters independently carry meanings of hardship, and together they emphasize the depth of suffering.