慘 (cǎn) - Miserable, tragic, cruel, pitiful & describes extreme suffering, wretched conditions, or cruel acts.

慘Tone 3

cǎn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

慘 · cǎn

Miserable, tragic, cruel, pitiful;

describes extreme suffering, wretched conditions, or cruel acts.

Miserable, tragic, cruel, pitifuldescribes extreme suffering, wretched conditions, or cruel acts.

Usage highlights

Tragic accidentMiserable conditionCrushing defeatCruel and inhumanBitter experiencePale with fright

Synonyms

  • 悲— sad, sorrowful
  • 凄— dreary, bleak
  • 苦— bitter, suffering

Antonyms

  • 乐— happy, joyful
  • 喜— delighted, pleased
  • 欢— merry, cheerful

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The tragic accident left many families grieving (惨剧).
  • Living conditions in the refugee camp were miserable (惨状).
  • He suffered a crushing defeat in the competition (惨败).
  • The cruel treatment of prisoners was documented (惨无人道).

Collocations

  • Tragic accident(惨案)
  • Miserable condition(惨状)
  • Crushing defeat(惨败)
  • Cruel and inhuman(惨无人道)
  • Bitter experience(惨痛)
  • Pale with fright(惨白)

Idioms

  • A tragic sight that shocks the eye(惨不忍睹)
  • Extremely miserable and heartbreaking(惨绝人寰)
  • A tragic lesson learned through bitter experience(惨痛教训)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Frequently appears in historical texts describing war, famine, and natural disasters.
  • Used in modern contexts to describe severe accidents, business failures, or personal tragedies.
  • Common in literary works to evoke strong emotional responses from readers.

FAQ