煽 (shān) - To incite & to instigate

煽Tone 1

shān ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

姗善

煽 · shān

To incite;

to instigate;

to agitate;

to fan (flames);

to stir up (trouble, emotion).

To inciteto instigateto agitate

Usage highlights

To inciteTo stir up troubleInflammatoryTo fan the flamesTo agitateTo whip up

Synonyms

  • 挑动— to provoke, to stir up
  • 鼓动— to agitate, to rouse
  • 唆使— to instigate, to abet

Antonyms

  • 平息— to quell, to calm down
  • 安抚— to appease, to pacify

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He tried to incite rebellion (煽动叛乱).
  • The speaker inflamed the crowd's emotions (煽动群众情绪).
  • This article is inflammatory (煽动性文章).
  • She was accused of fanning the flames of discord (煽风点火).

Collocations

  • To incite(煽动)
  • To stir up trouble(煽乱)
  • Inflammatory(煽动性)
  • To fan the flames(煽风点火)
  • To agitate(煽惑)
  • To whip up(情绪)

Idioms

  • To fan the flames and add fuel to the fire(煽风点火)
  • To incite and mislead the masses(煽惑人心)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character contains the 'fire' radical (火), linking its meaning to the act of fanning flames, both literally and metaphorically.
  • Often carries a negative connotation, associated with provoking unrest, rebellion, or strong, potentially destructive emotions.
  • Used in political and social contexts to describe rhetoric or actions designed to manipulate public sentiment.

FAQ