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責め苦 (せめく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

責せめ苦く

せ

め

く

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Meanings

1

noun

torture; pains of hell

Refers to physical or mental torment, often with a literary or religious connotation of hellish suffering.

地じ獄ごくの責せめ苦くを想そう像ぞうすると怖こわくなる。
Imagining the tortures of hell is frightening.
彼かれは良りょう心しんの責せめ苦くに耐たえられなかった。
He couldn't bear the torment of his conscience.

Written forms

責せめ苦くUsage42%
Standard kanji spelling.
責せめ苦くUsage58%
Less common variant; the 責め苦 spelling is preferred.

Kanji

責blame, condemn, censure
苦

suffering, trial, worry

Similar words

拷ごう問もん
拷問 is the common word for physical torture (e.g., interrogation), while 責め苦 is more literary and often implies mental or spiritual suffering.
苦くるしみ
苦しみ is a general word for pain or suffering; 責め苦 specifically suggests inflicted torment or agony.

Etymology

Compound of 責め (blame, torture) and 苦 (pain, suffering). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally conveys the idea of torment.