くどい

く

ど

い

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

i-adjective

repetitious; long-winded; insistent

usually written using kana alone

Describes speech, writing, or a person that goes on too long, repeats the same point, or nags. Often carries a negative, annoyed tone.

彼かれの説せつ明めいはいつもくどい。
His explanations are always long-winded.
そんなに

くどく

言い

わ

なく

て

も

わかる

よ

。

You don't have to keep saying it; I get it.

2

i-adjective

heavy; overly rich; cloying

usually written using kana alone

Used for food or drink that is too rich, strong, or heavy, often in a way that becomes unpleasant. Common with sweet or fatty dishes.

このケーキは味あじがくどい。
This cake has a heavy, cloying taste.
ソースがくどくて、全ぜん部ぶ食たべられなかった。
The sauce was so rich I couldn't finish it.

3

i-adjective

gaudy; loud

usually written using kana alone

Describes colors, patterns, or designs that are too bright, busy, or showy, often in a tasteless way.

あのシャツは色いろがくどい。
That shirt has gaudy colors.
壁かべ紙がみの柄えがくどすぎる。
The wallpaper pattern is too loud.

Written forms

くどいUsage94%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 諄い is rare.
クドいUsage6%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or in casual writing.
諄くどい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should use kana.

Kanji

諄tedious

Similar words

しつこい
しつこい also means persistent or insistent, but it emphasizes stubbornness and annoyance over a longer period, while くどい focuses more on verbosity or repetitiveness in the moment. しつこい can also describe tastes and smells, similar to くどい, but くどい is more about richness and heaviness.
うるさい
うるさい means noisy or annoying in a general sense, while くどい specifically targets repetitious or long-winded speech. うるさい can be used for any bothersome sound or person, not just wordiness.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the adverb くどくど (on and on, tediously), which is sound-symbolic. The kanji 諄 is a rare, semantically matched character.