滥 (làn) - excessive & indiscriminate

滥Tone 4

làn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

滥 · làn

excessive;

indiscriminate;

flood;

overflow;

to overflow;

to spread

excessiveindiscriminateflood

Usage highlights

floodabuse of powerexcessive loggingindiscriminate killingexcessive praisewanton bombing

Synonyms

  • 泛— to flood; to spread
  • 过— excessive; too much
  • 多— many; much

Antonyms

  • 缺— lack; shortage
  • 少— few; little
  • 精— refined; precise

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The river overflowed its banks (河水泛滥).
  • He was charged with abuse of power (滥用职权).
  • We should avoid excessive logging (避免滥伐森林).
  • The company was accused of indiscriminate hiring practices (公司被指控滥招员工).

Collocations

  • flood(泛滥)
  • abuse of power(滥用职权)
  • excessive logging(滥伐)
  • indiscriminate killing(滥杀)
  • excessive praise(滥誉)
  • wanton bombing(滥炸)

Idioms

  • To fill a number without considering quality(滥竽充数)
  • Excessive and indiscriminate(泛滥成灾)
  • To abuse one's power and act arbitrarily(滥用职权)
  • To praise excessively(滥加称赞)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to flooding waters, later extended to mean excessive or indiscriminate actions.
  • The idiom '滥竽充数' comes from a story about a man who joined an orchestra without knowing how to play, representing filling a position without real ability.
  • Often carries negative connotations of excess, lack of restraint, or poor quality in modern usage.

FAQ