| 過酷 | かこく | rigour, rigor, severity, cruelty, harsh |
| 酷 | こく | severe, harsh, stringent, rigorous, strict, unfair; body (esp. of food, wine, etc.), weight, substance |
| 残酷 | ざんこく | cruelty, harshness |
| 酷似 | こくじ | resemblance, resemble |
| 酷暑 | こくしょ | intense heat |
| 冷酷 | れいこく | cruelty, coldheartedness, relentless, ruthless |
| 酷寒 | こっかん | severe (intense) cold, depth of winter |
| 酷しい | きびしい, いかめしい | severe, strict, rigid, unsparing, relentless; stern, austere, grave, solemn, majestic; intense (cold) |
| 酷い | むごい | cruel, atrocious, merciless, inhuman, brutal |
| 酷い | ひどい | cruel, awful, severe, very bad, serious, terrible, heavy, violent |
