恫 (dòng) - to fear & to intimidate

恫Tone 4

dòng ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

恫 · dòng

to fear;

to intimidate;

to threaten;

pain;

suffering

to fearto intimidateto threaten

Usage highlights

to intimidatefear and intimidationinner painthreatening wordsto scare with threatsintimidation tactics

Synonyms

  • 吓— to frighten; to scare
  • 恐— to fear; to terrify
  • 惧— to fear; to be afraid

Antonyms

  • 安— peaceful; calm
  • 慰— to comfort; to console

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He tried to intimidate his opponent (恫吓对手).
  • The villagers lived in constant fear (村民生活在恫惧中).
  • She expressed her inner pain (她表达了内心的恫痛).
  • The threat was meant to scare them away (这种恫吓意在吓跑他们).

Collocations

  • to intimidate(恫吓)
  • fear and intimidation(恫惧)
  • inner pain(恫痛)
  • threatening words(恫言)
  • to scare with threats(恫恐)
  • intimidation tactics(恫吓手段)

Idioms

  • To intimidate by making a show of strength(虚声恫吓)
  • To threaten and intimidate(恫疑虚喝)
  • To terrify and frighten(恫骇震慑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant physical pain or suffering in classical Chinese, later extended to psychological fear and intimidation.
  • Often used in legal and political contexts to describe threats or coercive behavior.
  • The character appears in historical texts describing both physical torment and psychological intimidation tactics.

FAQ