癟 (biě) - shrivelled, shrunken & sunken

癟Tone 3

biě ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

癟 · biě

shrivelled, shrunken;

sunken;

poor quality;

to become deflated;

to shrink;

to collapse;

(dialect) bad, inferior

shrivelled, shrunkensunkenpoor quality

Usage highlights

flat tyresunken cheeksdeflated ballshrunken stomachpoor quality goodsbad luck

Synonyms

  • 缩— to shrink, contract
  • 塌— to collapse, sink
  • 干— dry, withered

Antonyms

  • 胀— swollen, inflated
  • 鼓— bulging, full
  • 满— full, complete

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The balloon went flat (气球瘪了).
  • He has sunken cheeks (他脸颊瘪了).
  • This tyre is flat (这个轮胎瘪了).
  • The poor harvest left the granaries empty (收成不好，粮仓都瘪了).

Collocations

  • flat tyre(瘪胎)
  • sunken cheeks(瘪脸颊)
  • deflated ball(瘪球)
  • shrunken stomach(瘪肚子)
  • poor quality goods(瘪货)
  • bad luck(瘪运)

Idioms

  • Beat someone until they're black and blue(打得鼻青脸肿)
  • Poor and down-and-out(穷酸瘪三)
  • Shriveled and dried up(干瘪瘪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in Shanghainese dialect to describe something of poor quality or someone in a sorry state.
  • In some regional dialects, '瘪三' is a derogatory term for a beggar or vagrant.
  • The character conveys a sense of emptiness, deflation, or inferiority in both literal and figurative contexts.

FAQ