妙 (miào) - Wonderful, excellent, marvelous & clever, ingenious

妙Tone 4

miào ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 女

妍姝

妙 · miào

Wonderful, excellent, marvelous;

clever, ingenious;

subtle, mysterious;

beautiful, exquisite.

Wonderful, excellent, marvelousclever, ingenioussubtle, mysterious

Usage highlights

Wonderful ideaExquisite techniqueClever strategySubtle meaningMarvelous workIngenious method

Synonyms

  • 佳— good, excellent
  • 美— beautiful, fine
  • 巧— skillful, clever
  • 精— refined, exquisite

Antonyms

  • 拙— clumsy, awkward
  • 劣— inferior, poor
  • 粗— coarse, rough

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is a wonderful idea (妙计).
  • She performed an exquisite dance (妙舞).
  • He gave a clever explanation (妙解).
  • The scenery is absolutely beautiful (妙景).

Collocations

  • Wonderful idea(妙计)
  • Exquisite technique(妙技)
  • Clever strategy(妙策)
  • Subtle meaning(妙意)
  • Marvelous work(妙作)
  • Ingenious method(妙法)

Idioms

  • Ingenious plan to revive a desperate situation(妙手回春)
  • Subtle and incomprehensible(妙不可言)
  • Every sentence is a gem(字字珠玑，句句妙语)
  • Clever plan and excellent stratagem(神机妙算)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Buddhism, '妙' refers to the subtle and profound truth that transcends ordinary understanding.
  • In traditional Chinese aesthetics, '妙' represents the highest realm of artistic excellence that cannot be fully expressed in words.
  • The character combines '女' (female) and '少' (young), originally suggesting youthful feminine beauty and grace.

FAQ