逆耳 nì'ěr grating to the ear Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 忠言逆耳 zhōngyánnì'ěr the truth hurts Honest advice is often hard to hear; loyal advice jars on the ears. Often used with [[良药苦口|良藥苦口|liang2 yao4 ku3 kou3]].逆耳之言 nì'ěrzhīyán bitter truths (idiom) speech that grates on the ear; honest but unpleasant advice that is difficult to listen to