淫 (yín) - Excessive, wanton, lewd, obscene & to indulge in

淫Tone 2

yín ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

懿嘤

淫 · yín

Excessive, wanton, lewd, obscene;

to indulge in;

to spread, to permeate;

excessive rain.

Excessive, wanton, lewd, obsceneto indulge into spread, to permeate

Usage highlights

Obscene contentLewd talkExcessive rainIndulge in pleasureWanton behaviorPornography

Synonyms

  • 秽— filthy, dirty (often paired with 淫)
  • 荡— dissolute, loose in morals
  • 奢— extravagant, wasteful

Antonyms

  • 贞— chaste, virtuous
  • 节— temperate, restrained
  • 俭— frugal, economical

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The book was banned for obscene content (淫秽内容).
  • He indulged in excessive drinking (淫酒).
  • He was corrupted by power (被权力所淫).
  • The heavy rain flooded the fields (淫雨淹没了田地).

Collocations

  • Obscene content(淫秽)
  • Lewd talk(淫语)
  • Excessive rain(淫雨)
  • Indulge in pleasure(淫乐)
  • Wanton behavior(淫行)
  • Pornography(淫书)

Idioms

  • Rich and honor lead to lewdness(富贵不能淫)
  • Lewd sounds and seductive sights(淫声艳色)
  • Spread evil rumors(淫辞邪说)
  • Indulge in excessive pleasure(骄奢淫逸)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucian ethics, '淫' represents excess and deviation from proper moderation, one of the core virtues.
  • Historically used in legal and moral texts to condemn sexual impropriety and excessive behavior.
  • In agricultural contexts, '淫雨' refers to continuous heavy rain that damages crops, showing the character's broader meaning of 'excess'.

FAQ