霹 (pī) - Thunderclap, thunderbolt & sudden, violent, or startling event

霹Tone 1

pī ｜ 21 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

霹 · pī

Thunderclap, thunderbolt;

sudden, violent, or startling event;

used in words related to lightning and sudden shocks.

Thunderclap, thunderboltsudden, violent, or startling eventused in words related to lightning and sudden

Usage highlights

ThunderclapBolt from the blueThunderboltThunderous forceSudden shockThunderclap sword

Synonyms

  • 雷— thunder (more general term)
  • 霆— thunderclap, thunderbolt

Antonyms

  • 晴— clear weather (antonym to thunderstorm context)
  • 静— quiet, calm (antonym to thunderous noise)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A sudden thunderclap (霹雳) startled everyone.
  • The news came like a bolt from the blue (晴天霹雳).
  • He used a thunderbolt spell (霹雳法术) in the game.
  • The company faced a sudden crisis (霹雳危机).

Collocations

  • Thunderclap(霹雳)
  • Bolt from the blue(晴天霹雳)
  • Thunderbolt(霹雳火)
  • Thunderous force(霹雳力)
  • Sudden shock(霹雳震惊)
  • Thunderclap sword(霹雳剑)

Idioms

  • A bolt from the blue(晴天霹雳)
  • Thunderclap and fire(霹雳烈火)
  • Thunderous momentum(雷霆万钧)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese mythology and martial arts fiction, '霹雳' often represents sudden, powerful, divine punishment or extraordinary martial techniques.
  • The character appears in names of weapons, techniques, and phenomena associated with sudden, overwhelming force in wuxia and xianxia genres.
  • Historically associated with the power of thunder gods and celestial phenomena in Chinese folk religion.

FAQ