瘟 (wēn) - Plague & pestilence

瘟Tone 1

wēn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

瘟 · wēn

Plague;

pestilence;

epidemic disease;

also used metaphorically for something harmful or unwelcome.

Plaguepestilenceepidemic disease

Usage highlights

PlaguePestilenceEpidemicPig plagueChicken pestDull person

Synonyms

  • 疫— epidemic, pestilence
  • 病— disease, illness
  • 疾— sickness, ailment

Antonyms

  • 康— health
  • 健— robust health

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The village was struck by plague (瘟疫).
  • He has a sickly, pale complexion (瘟病面容).
  • The actor gave a dull performance (演得真瘟).
  • The team is in a slump (队伍正发瘟).

Collocations

  • Plague(瘟疫)
  • Pestilence(瘟神)
  • Epidemic(瘟病)
  • Pig plague(猪瘟)
  • Chicken pest(鸡瘟)
  • Dull person(瘟生)

Idioms

  • To drive away the god of plague(送瘟神)
  • A dull and lifeless scene(死气瘟神)
  • A sickly, weak appearance(病病瘟瘟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese folk religion, 瘟神 (Wēnshén) is the god of plague, believed to cause epidemics.
  • The term is often used metaphorically to describe something tedious, dull, or unwelcome.
  • The character carries a strongly negative connotation and is rarely used in a positive context.

FAQ