刺耳

cì'ěr

adjective HSK 7 #15,707

Meanings

Literally 'piercing the ear' — a sound so sharp it feels like a physical stab.

Shāchē fāchū cì'ěr de shēngyīn.

The brakes made an ear-piercing sound.

Tā de huà suīrán cì'ěr, dàn shuō de shì shíhuà.

His words were harsh, but he was telling the truth.

usage

刺耳 works for both literal sounds (screeching, scraping) and figurative speech (harsh criticism). The opposite is 悦耳 (yuè'ěr, 'pleasant to the ear').

刺 cì

耳 ěr