紂 (zhòu) - Zhou — the name of the last king & also refers to a crupper (part of a

紂Tone 4

zhòu ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

志

紂 · zhòu

Zhou — the name of the last king of the Shang dynasty, King Zhou of Shang, known for his tyranny and cruelty;

also refers to a crupper (part of a horse harness).

Zhou — the name of the last kingalso refers to a crupper (part of a

Usage highlights

King Zhou of ShangZhou's tyrannyZhou's excessescrupperto imitate ZhouZhou's misrule

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • King Zhou of Shang was a notorious tyrant (商纣王).
  • The crupper is part of the horse's harness (纣棍).
  • Historical records describe Zhou's excesses (纣的暴行).
  • He is often contrasted with the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (周文王).

Collocations

  • King Zhou of Shang(商纣王)
  • Zhou's tyranny(纣虐)
  • Zhou's excesses(纣之过)
  • crupper(纣棍)
  • to imitate Zhou(效纣)
  • Zhou's misrule(纣乱)

Idioms

  • Helping a tyrant to do evil(助纣为虐)
  • Following Zhou's example(步纣后尘)
  • Zhou's wine pond and meat forest(纣之酒池肉林)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • King Zhou of Shang is the archetypal evil ruler in Chinese historiography, symbolizing tyranny and decadence.
  • His name became a byword for cruel and oppressive rule in later Chinese literature and philosophy.
  • The character originally referred to a crupper in horse harnesses before being used for the king's name.

FAQ