棘手

jí shǒu

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

Definitions

1. thorny (problem)
2. intractable

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Start Free Trial $9.99 / year

Lifetime for $19.99 Try the 30-second demo

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

容易

róng yì

easy; straightforward

与棘手相对，表示简单好办

Synonyms

3 items

麻烦

má fan

trouble; inconvenience

形容问题、情况等复杂难办

困难

kùn nan

difficult

形容事情不容易处理

头疼

tóu téng

headache

比喻事情让人感到烦恼难办

Usage notes

Collocations

常与“问题”“事情”“局面”等搭配，形容难以处理。

Common mistakes

不要误写为“辣手”（“辣”音là，“棘手”的“棘”音jí）。“辣手”指毒辣的手段，意思完全不同。

Example Sentences

1 shown

这个问题非常棘手，我们需要好好讨论一下。

This problem is very thorny; we need to discuss it thoroughly.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 棘手

hand

thorns

棘手