不堪入耳 () — unbearably vulgar or offensive to the ear (of speech, music, etc.)

Definition

Strong chengyu meaning 'intolerably vulgar or offensive to the ear' — applied to swear words, crude jokes, or harsh music that one cannot stand to listen to. More forceful than saying 难听, which just means 'harsh-sounding'.

idiom
unbearably vulgar or offensive to the ear (of speech, music, etc.)

Examples

  • 不堪入耳
    Tā shuō de zāng huà bú, ràng rén tīng le hěn bù shū fu.
    The swear words he said were unbearable to the ear and made people quite uncomfortable.
  • 不堪入耳
    Nà shǒu yīn yuè xuán lǜ cū cāo, jiǎn zhí bú.
    That piece of music has a rough melody — it's simply offensive to the ear.
  • 不堪入耳
    Zhè duàn xiàng sheng nèi róng dī sú, bú, bú shì hé ér tóng.
    This cross-talk routine has vulgar content, offensive to the ear, and is not suitable for children.

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