What is the main meaning of 诎?

It primarily means to bend, yield, or be at a loss for words, often used in formal or classical contexts.

Is 诎 commonly used in modern Chinese?

No, it is relatively rare in modern usage and mostly appears in classical texts or fixed expressions.

How is 诎 different from 屈?

Both can mean 'to bend' or 'yield', but 诎 often carries a stronger connotation of rhetorical or logical insufficiency, while 屈 is more general for physical or metaphorical bending.

诎Tone 1

qū ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 讠

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诎 · qū

To bend, yield;

to be at a loss for words;

to be insufficient;

to shorten.

To bend, yieldto be at a loss for wordsto be insufficient

Usage highlights

To be at a loss for wordsTo bend and stretchTo yield in argumentTo be insufficientTo shortenTo bend one's will

Synonyms

屈— to bend, submit
拙— clumsy, awkward
讷— slow of speech

Antonyms

伸— to stretch, extend
畅— fluent, smooth
盈— abundant, full

Usage & contexts

Examples

He was speechless (诎于言辞).
The evidence is insufficient (理诎).
To bend one's will (诎志).

Collocations

To be at a loss for words(辞诎)
To bend and stretch(诎伸)
To yield in argument(理诎)
To be insufficient(诎乏)
To shorten(诎短)
To bend one's will(诎志)

Idioms

To advance and retreat, bend and stretch(进诎伸绌)
One's words are exhausted(词穷理诎)
To be overwhelmed and speechless(诎诎无言)

Cultural background

FAQ

Originally meant physical bending, later extended to rhetorical or logical insufficiency.
Used in classical Chinese texts to describe yielding in debate or being tongue-tied.
Appears in philosophical contexts discussing flexibility and adaptation.

诎 (qū) - To bend, yield & to be at a loss for words