Meaning and Usage
The adjective ひどい is commonly used to describe something that is severe, terrible, or harsh. It can refer to physical conditions (like illness), behavior, or situations that are unfair or cruel.
Common Contexts
You will often hear ひどい used when talking about someone's behavior (e.g., ひどい態度), bad weather, or serious problems (e.g., ひどい事故). It can express both emotional and physical severity.
Collocations and Patterns
- ひどい風邪 (a terrible cold): describing a severe illness
- ひどい態度 (terrible attitude): criticizing someone's behavior
- ひどい目にあう (to have a terrible experience): used when someone suffers or has a bad time
Register and Nuance
ひどい is informal to neutral and widely used in everyday conversation. It can be softened or intensified depending on context but generally conveys strong negative feelings.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse ひどい with わるい (bad). While わるい is more general, ひどい emphasizes severity or cruelty. Use ひどい when you want to stress how extreme or harsh something is.