惻 (cè) - Sorrowful, grieved, compassionate & deeply pained or distressed

惻Tone 4

cè ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

惻 · cè

Sorrowful, grieved, compassionate;

deeply pained or distressed;

feeling pity or sympathy.

Sorrowful, grieved, compassionatedeeply pained or distressedfeeling pity or sympathy.

Usage highlights

Compassionate heartFeel sorrowfulPity the peopleGrieved and painedSad and distressedSorrowful feeling

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

  • 乐— happy, joyful
  • 喜— delighted, pleased

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He felt deep compassion for the victims (对受害者深表恻隐).
  • Her sad story moved everyone to pity (她的悲惨故事令人恻然).
  • The poem expresses sorrow for the suffering of the people (这首诗表达了恻民之情).

Collocations

  • Compassionate heart(恻隐之心)
  • Feel sorrowful(恻然)
  • Pity the people(恻民)
  • Grieved and pained(恻怛)
  • Sad and distressed(凄恻)
  • Sorrowful feeling(悲恻)

Idioms

  • A heart of compassion(恻隐之心)
  • Feeling sorrow and pity(恻怛不安)
  • Deeply grieved and distressed(凄恻动人)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Associated with Confucian virtue of compassion and empathy toward others' suffering.
  • In classical texts, often describes the innate human feeling of pity and moral concern.
  • The concept of '恻隐之心' is considered one of the 'Four Beginnings' of virtue in Mencian philosophy.

FAQ