Meaning
burning, bitter
- Intensely hot or burning (literally).
- Causing acute distress, humiliation, or sorrow (figuratively).
In a sentence
La squadra ha subito una cocente sconfitta nella finale.
The team suffered a bitter defeat in the final.
Camminavano a fatica sotto il sole cocente del primo pomeriggio.
They walked with difficulty under the scorching sun of early afternoon.
La mancata promozione è stata una delusione davvero cocente per Marco.
Missing out on the promotion was a truly bitter disappointment for Marco.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cocente | masculine · singular |
| cocente | feminine · singular |
| cocenti | masculine · plural |
| cocenti | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Very common in the fixed collocation 'una cocente delusione' (a bitter disappointment).
- Present participle of 'cuocere' functioning as an adjective.