忌刻 is an adjective describing a deeply resentful, malicious envy — not just simple jealousy, but a bitter, grudging hostility toward others’ success or advantages. The character 忌 means 'to fear, to avoid, or to be jealous of', often implying aversion or taboo; 刻 means 'to engrave' or 'to carve', and here metaphorically conveys sharpness, severity, and unrelenting harshness. Together, they evoke the image of envy so deeply 'carved' into one’s heart that it hardens into spiteful ill will.

This word is formal and literary, commonly found in classical texts, modern essays, or critical commentary. It carries strong negative moral judgment and suggests psychological rigidity and moral deficiency. It is rarely used in casual speech but appears in descriptions of toxic interpersonal dynamics, historical figures’ flaws, or analyses of social resentment. Because of its intensity, it is stronger than ordinary terms for envy like 嫉妒 or 羡慕.