kǔ​sè

bitter and astringent

苦涩 (苦澀) kǔ​sè
bitter and astringent adjective
having a sharp, harsh, or acrid taste
pained adjective
expressing or feeling distress, agony, or bitterness

Mentioning that failed relationship, he gave a bitter smile.

Frequency

Movie subtitles
1.13 per million appears in 1% of films
Written text
4.36 per million

Details

HSK 2.0
Level 6

Sources

Definitions
CC-CEDICT