罔 (wǎng) - to deceive & to cheat

罔Tone 3

wǎng ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 冂

万响

罔 · wǎng

to deceive;

to cheat;

not;

without;

to ignore;

to disregard;

net-like structure

to deceiveto cheatnot

Usage highlights

DeceiveIgnoreDisregardConfusedNetWithout

Synonyms

  • 欺— to deceive
  • 骗— to cheat
  • 无— without

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Do not deceive yourself (毋自欺也).
  • He was trapped in a net of lies (陷入谎言的网罗).
  • The scholar was lost in thought (学者惘然若失).

Collocations

  • Deceive(欺罔)
  • Ignore(置若罔闻)
  • Disregard(罔顾)
  • Confused(惘然)
  • Net-like(网罔)
  • Without(无罔)

Idioms

  • Turn a deaf ear(置若罔闻)
  • Deceive the emperor above and bully the people below(欺君罔上)
  • Confused and at a loss(惘然若失)
  • The net of heaven is large and loose, but nothing escapes it(天网恢恢，疏而不漏)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a fishing net, later extended to mean 'to deceive' or 'to entrap'.
  • In classical Chinese philosophy, used to express negation similar to 'not' or 'without'.
  • Appears in Confucian texts discussing self-deception and moral integrity.

FAQ