毒 (dú) - Poison, toxin & harmful, noxious

毒Tone 2

dú ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 毋

丁恩

毒 · dú

Poison, toxin;

harmful, noxious;

malicious, cruel;

to poison, to harm.

Poison, toxinharmful, noxiousmalicious, cruel

Usage highlights

PoisonToxic substanceDrug addictionVirusDrug traffickingAntidote

Synonyms

  • 毒素— toxin, poisonous substance
  • 毒药— poison, toxic medicine
  • 毒物— poisonous substance

Antonyms

  • 药— medicine, healing substance
  • 益— beneficial, advantageous
  • 善— good, kind

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This plant contains poison (毒).
  • Drug abuse is harmful (吸毒).
  • The snake's venom is deadly (蛇毒).
  • He was poisoned (被下毒).

Collocations

  • Poison(毒药)
  • Toxic substance(毒素)
  • Drug addiction(毒瘾)
  • Virus(病毒)
  • Drug trafficking(贩毒)
  • Antidote(解毒)

Idioms

  • To poison people's minds(以毒攻毒)
  • Lethal poison(剧毒)
  • Malicious slander(毒舌)
  • Ruthless and vicious(心狠手毒)
  • Poisonous weeds(毒草)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, some poisonous substances are used in small doses as medicine.
  • The character appears in warnings about dangerous substances and harmful behaviors.
  • Historically associated with political persecution and poisoning in court intrigues.

FAQ