سختگیر
سختگیر (sakht-gir) means strict, demanding, or exacting. A pure Persian compound of sakht (hard) and gir (from gereftan, to take), it describes a person who holds others to a high and often rigid standard.
Glossary
وسواسی
وسواسی (vasvâsi) means obsessive, fussy, or OCD-ish in colloquial Persian. It comes from the Arabic word waswas, meaning intrusive whisper or doubt, and it is one of those words Iranians use freely in everyday conversation.
خونسرد
خونسرد (khunsard) means cool-headed and calm under pressure. A pure Persian compound of khun (blood) and sard (cold), it describes the person who keeps their composure when everything is going wrong.
لوس
لوس (lus) means spoiled, bratty, or cloying in Persian. Traced to an Arabic root meaning flattery and cajolery, it now describes a person who whines for attention or a sweetness so excessive it becomes unpleasant.
نازکنارنجی
نازکنارنجی (nâzok-nârenji) means oversensitive or thin-skinned in Persian. This vivid colloquial idiom literally evokes the delicate skin of a bitter orange, used to mock someone who takes offence at the slightest thing.
سنگدل
سنگدل (sangdel) means hard-hearted or callous in Persian. A pure Persian compound of sang (stone) and del (heart), it describes emotional coldness toward others’ suffering. More literary than its synonym بیرحم.
بیرحم
بیرحم (bi-rahm) means merciless or cruel in Persian. It combines the native Persian prefix bi (without) with the Arabic noun rahm (mercy), making it a mixed-origin compound that appears across all registers.
رک
رک (rok) means blunt, frank, or straight-talking in Persian. It describes someone who says exactly what they mean without softening or pretense, a quality Iranians often admire despite the culture of taarof.
دورو
دورو (doru) means two-faced or hypocritical in Persian. A compound of do (two) and ru (face), it describes someone who says one thing to your face and another behind your back.
خوشاخلاق
خوشاخلاق (khosh-akhlâgh) means good-natured or pleasant in colloquial Persian. It pairs the native Persian khosh with the Arabic akhlâgh, and is one of the warmest compliments you can give someone in everyday speech.