倿 (nìng) - A variant form of 佞 (nìng) meaning flattering, & to fawn upon

倿Tone 4

nìng ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

倿 · nìng

A variant form of 佞 (nìng) meaning flattering, sycophantic, or cunning in speech;

to fawn upon;

also refers to being talented or skillful (archaic sense).

A variant form of 佞 (nìng) meaning flattering,to fawn uponalso refers to being talented or skillful (archaic

Usage highlights

sycophantic ministerflattering wordsfawning personcunning speechskillful and eloquentartful flattery

Synonyms

  • 佞— flattering, sycophantic (standard form)
  • 谄— to flatter, fawn upon
  • 媚— to curry favor, flatter

Antonyms

  • 贤— virtuous, worthy
  • 忠— loyal, faithful
  • 直— upright, honest

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is skilled at flattery (倿辞).
  • Beware of sycophantic officials (倿臣).
  • The court was full of fawning courtiers (倿人).
  • She has a talent for clever speech (倿口).

Collocations

  • sycophantic minister(倿臣)
  • flattering words(倿辞)
  • fawning person(倿人)
  • cunning speech(倿口)
  • skillful and eloquent(倿才)
  • artful flattery(倿巧)

Idioms

  • To fawn upon and flatter(阿谀倿媚)
  • Cunning words and fawning appearance(倿言倿色)
  • Keep the virtuous close and the sycophants distant(亲贤远倿)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in classical Chinese texts to describe court officials who gained favor through flattery rather than merit.
  • In Confucian philosophy, being 倿 was considered a serious moral failing, contrasted with 贤 (virtuous).
  • The character is now considered a variant form and is rarely used in modern Chinese, with 佞 being the standard form.

FAQ