潰 (kuì) - to burst & to overflow

潰Tone 4

kuì ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

潰 · kuì

to burst;

to overflow;

to break through;

to be routed;

to fester;

to ulcerate;

to be corrupt

to burstto overflowto break through

Usage highlights

collapseburst a dammilitary defeatfestering woundrouted troopsulcer

Synonyms

  • 败— to defeat; to fail
  • 垮— to collapse; to break down
  • 崩— to collapse; to crumble

Antonyms

  • 胜— to win; to triumph
  • 固— firm; solid
  • 愈— to heal; to recover

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The dam burst under pressure (堤坝溃决).
  • The army was completely routed (军队溃败).
  • The wound became ulcerated (伤口溃烂).
  • The financial system collapsed (金融体系崩溃).

Collocations

  • collapse(崩溃)
  • burst a dam(溃堤)
  • military defeat(溃败)
  • festering wound(溃烂)
  • routed troops(溃军)
  • ulcer(溃疡)

Idioms

  • Collapse like an avalanche(一溃千里)
  • Utterly routed and fleeing in disorder(溃不成军)
  • The dike of a thousand li collapses because of an ant hole(千里之堤，溃于蚁穴)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in military contexts to describe the complete collapse and rout of an army.
  • Used in medical contexts to describe festering wounds or ulcers.
  • Appears in cautionary tales about small problems leading to major disasters, as in the ant hole idiom.

FAQ