毁 (huǐ) - To destroy & to ruin

毁Tone 3

huǐ ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

毁 · huǐ

To destroy;

to ruin;

to damage;

to defame;

to slander.

To destroyto ruinto damage

Usage highlights

DestroyDamageDefameRuin reputationDestroy evidenceDemolish

Synonyms

  • 破坏— to damage, to destroy
  • 损坏— to damage, to impair
  • 摧毁— to demolish, to wreck

Antonyms

  • 建— to build, to construct
  • 修— to repair, to fix
  • 保护— to protect, to preserve

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The fire destroyed the building (毁坏了建筑).
  • He was accused of slandering others (毁谤他人).
  • The scandal ruined his reputation (毁了他的名声).
  • They demolished the old house (毁掉了老房子).

Collocations

  • Destroy(毁灭)
  • Damage(毁坏)
  • Defame(毁谤)
  • Ruin reputation(毁誉)
  • Destroy evidence(毁灭证据)
  • Demolish(毁掉)

Idioms

  • To burn books and bury scholars alive(焚书坑儒)
  • To destroy family and die for the country(毁家纾难)
  • To cherish the jade and destroy the mountain(玉毁椟中)
  • To accumulate goodness and destroy with one act(积毁销骨)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, '毁' carries strong negative connotations of destruction and damage.
  • The character appears in legal and moral contexts concerning reputation damage and property destruction.
  • Historically associated with severe actions like book burning during Qin dynasty.

FAQ