- 残酷【ざんこく】 - cruel, brutal, ruthless, merciless, inhuman 
- 過酷【かこく】 - severe, harsh, hard, cruel, rigorous 
- 冷酷【れいこく】 - cruelty, coldheartedness, relentless, ruthless 
- 酷暑【こくしょ】 - intense heat, severe heat 
- 酷似【こくじ】 - resembling closely, being strikingly similar, bearing a strong likeness 
- 酷評【こくひょう】 - severe criticism, sharp criticism, scathing criticism, diatribe, panning 
- 酷使【こくし】 - exploitation, overuse, abuse 
- 酷寒【こっかん】 - severe cold, intense cold, bitter cold