盭 (lì) - Cruel, violent & perverse, disobedient

盭Tone 4

lì ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

盭 · lì

Cruel, violent;

perverse, disobedient;

also refers to a green-black color.

Cruel, violentperverse, disobedientalso refers to a green-black color.

Usage highlights

Cruel governmentPerverse and rebelliousGreenViolent actionsCruel and fierceTo become cruel/perverse

Synonyms

  • 残— cruel, savage
  • 暴— violent, brutal
  • 戾— perverse, rebellious

Antonyms

  • 仁— benevolent, kind
  • 善— good, virtuous
  • 顺— obedient, compliant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The tyrant's rule was known for its cruelty (盭政).
  • He had a rebellious and perverse nature (盭戾).
  • The ancient artifact had a greenish-black patina (盭色).
  • Such violent actions are condemned by society (盭行).

Collocations

  • Cruel government(盭政)
  • Perverse and rebellious(盭戾)
  • Green-black color(盭色)
  • Violent actions(盭行)
  • Cruel and fierce(盭夫)
  • To become cruel/perverse(盭于)

Idioms

  • Rebellious and perverse(盭戾乖张)
  • Cruel and tyrannical(盭虐无道)
  • Green as emerald(青如盭)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Appears in classical texts like 'Records of the Grand Historian' describing cruel rulers.
  • Originally referred to a twisting motion that distorts something from its natural state.
  • The character's complex structure with '弦' (bowstring) and '攴' (to strike) suggests violence.
  • Also used in ancient color terminology for a specific green-black hue.

FAQ