przykra

Przykra is a Polish adjective used to describe something that is unpleasant, disagreeable, or sad. It is commonly employed to characterize events, experiences, or conditions that provoke disappointment or distress, such as "przykra wiadomość" (an unpleasant/sad piece of news) or "przykry dzień" (an unpleasant day).

In Polish, przykra is the feminine singular form of the base adjective often given as przykry for masculine and przykre for neuter and plural forms. The word follows standard Polish adjective agreement, changing form to match gender and number of the noun it describes. The root is related to the adverbial and adjectival family around "przykro," a term used in phrases like "przykro mi" (I am sorry) to express sympathy or regret.

Usage and nuances. Przykry conveys a sense of emotional impact or moral displeasure, rather than mere factual negativity. It can describe tangible things (przykry dzień, przykra wiadomość) as well as situations or behaviors (przykra decyzja). It is closely related to synonyms such as nieprzyjemny (unpleasant) and smutny (sad), though prikry often emphasizes the unpleasantness as something that weighs on the speaker’s feelings.

See also. The related expression "przykro" appears in common phrases such as "przykro mi" (I am sorry) and "to było przykro" (that was unfortunate). The term nieprzyjemny provides a broader synonym for general unpleasantness.