桎 (zhì) - Fetters, shackles & to restrain, to confine

桎Tone 4

zhì ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical: 木

志

桎 · zhì

Fetters, shackles;

to restrain, to confine;

a type of leg-irons used in ancient China.

Fetters, shacklesto restrain, to confinea type of leg-irons used in ancient China.

Usage highlights

Fetters and handcuffsMental shacklesTraditional restraintsBreak free from shacklesInstitutional constraintsIdeological fetters

Synonyms

  • 梏— Handcuffs, manacles
  • 镣— Fetters, shackles
  • 束缚— Restraint, constraint

Antonyms

  • 自由— Freedom, liberty
  • 解放— Liberation, emancipation

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The prisoner was bound in fetters (桎梏).
  • Traditional customs can be a shackle (桎梏) on progress.
  • He felt confined by social expectations (社会桎梏).
  • Breaking free from mental restraints (精神桎梏) is liberating.

Collocations

  • Fetters and handcuffs(桎梏)
  • Mental shackles(精神桎梏)
  • Traditional restraints(传统桎梏)
  • Break free from shackles(摆脱桎梏)
  • Institutional constraints(制度桎梏)
  • Ideological fetters(思想桎梏)

Idioms

  • Bound by fetters and handcuffs(桎梏加身)
  • Shackles of tradition(传统桎梏)
  • Break free from restraints(挣脱桎梏)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to leg-irons used as punishment in ancient China.
  • Often used metaphorically to describe constraints on freedom, thought, or progress.
  • Appears in classical texts describing criminal punishment systems.

FAQ