恻 (cè) - sorrowful, grieved, compassionate, sympathetic

恻Tone 4

cè ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

恻 · cè

sorrowful, grieved, compassionate, sympathetic

sorrowful, grieved, compassionate, sympathetic

Usage highlights

compassionate heartfeel sorrowfulgrieved and distressedcompassion and pitysad and mournfulmoved to compassion

Synonyms

  • 悲— sad, sorrowful
  • 哀— grief, mourning
  • 悯— pity, compassion

Antonyms

  • 喜— happy, joyful
  • 乐— pleasure, enjoyment
  • 欢— delighted, cheerful

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He felt deep sorrow (恻隐之心) for the orphan.
  • The tragic story moved her to compassion (恻然).
  • His expression showed grief (恻怛).

Collocations

  • compassionate heart(恻隐之心)
  • feel sorrowful(恻然)
  • grieved and distressed(恻怛)
  • compassion and pity(恻怜)
  • sad and mournful(恻惨)
  • moved to compassion(恻动)

Idioms

  • Heart of compassion(恻隐之心)
  • Feel compassion upon seeing suffering(恻然见怜)
  • Deeply grieved and pained(恻怛伤痛)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Derived from the concept of innate human compassion in Confucian philosophy.
  • The 'heart of compassion' (恻隐之心) is considered one of the four innate virtues in Mencian thought.
  • Often used in classical Chinese literature to describe noble emotional responses to suffering.

FAQ