逆 耳

nì ěrdictionary entry

unpleasant to hear / grates on the ear (of home truths)

Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-8e26c308a9b62b72. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

逆耳逆耳 [ni4 er3] /unpleasant to hear/grates on the ear (of home truths)/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

逆
nì
contrary / opposite / backwards / to go against / to oppose / to betray / to rebel
耳
ěr
ear / handle (archaeology) / and that is all (Classical Chinese)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.