讏 (wèi) - Wei — to flatter, toady, or fawn upon & insincere praise or adulation

讏Tone 4

wèi ｜ 23 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

讏 · wèi

Wei — to flatter, toady, or fawn upon;

insincere praise or adulation;

sycophantic behavior.

Wei — to flatter, toady, or fawn uponinsincere praise or adulationsycophantic behavior.

Usage highlights

flatter and toadyflattering wordssycophantic officialflattering and fawningflattering speechflattering and ingratiating

Synonyms

  • 谄— to flatter, fawn upon
  • 媚— to curry favor, flatter
  • 阿— to flatter, pander to

Antonyms

  • 直— straightforward, honest
  • 诚— sincere, honest
  • 正— upright, righteous

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He flattered his boss to get a promotion (讏媚).
  • The court was full of sycophants (讏臣).
  • She saw through his flattering words (讏言).
  • He used flattery to gain favor (用讏取宠).

Collocations

  • flatter and toady(讏媚)
  • flattering words(讏言)
  • sycophantic official(讏臣)
  • flattering and fawning(阿讏)
  • flattering speech(讏辞)
  • flattering and ingratiating(谄讏)

Idioms

  • Flattering words and ingratiating manner(讏言谄态)
  • Flattering superiors and bullying subordinates(讏上欺下)
  • Using flattery to seek personal gain(以讏求利)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, flattery (讏) was viewed as a negative trait, associated with insincerity and moral weakness.
  • Historical texts often warn against sycophants (讏臣) who could mislead rulers and harm the state.
  • The character is relatively rare in modern usage but appears in classical literature and historical contexts.

FAQ