劣 (liè) - inferior & bad

劣Tone 4

liè ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 力

嘹林

劣 · liè

inferior;

bad;

of low quality;

weak;

poor

inferiorbadof low quality

Usage highlights

inferior qualitybad behaviorpoor performanceinferior productbad habitwicked person

Synonyms

  • 差— poor; bad
  • 坏— bad
  • 次— inferior; substandard

Antonyms

  • 优— excellent; superior
  • 好— good
  • 良— good; fine

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The quality of this product is inferior (质量劣).
  • He has a bad temper (脾气劣).
  • We must eliminate the inferior and retain the superior (优胜劣汰).
  • This is a poor harvest year (劣年).

Collocations

  • inferior quality(劣质)
  • bad behavior(劣行)
  • poor performance(劣绩)
  • inferior product(劣品)
  • bad habit(劣习)
  • wicked person(劣绅)

Idioms

  • Survival of the fittest(优胜劣汰)
  • The strong prey on the weak(弱肉强食，优胜劣败)
  • Unable to distinguish good from bad(不辨优劣)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'weak' or 'small in strength', derived from the composition of 少 (few) and 力 (strength).
  • In modern usage, primarily carries negative connotations of poor quality or bad character.
  • Used in evolutionary theory contexts through the idiom 优胜劣汰 (survival of the fittest).

FAQ