靡 (mí) - extravagant, wasteful & to dissipate, to squander

靡Tone 2

mí ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

靡 · mí

extravagant, wasteful;

to dissipate, to squander;

to be dispersed;

to not have;

negative particle meaning 'not' or 'none'.

extravagant, wastefulto dissipate, to squanderto be dispersed

Usage highlights

extravagant and wastefulto be routed and dispersedthere is none who doesn'tluxurious and dissipatedto blow and scatterto toil without rest

Synonyms

  • 奢— extravagant, luxurious
  • 费— to waste, to spend
  • 无— not have, without (for the negative sense)

Antonyms

  • 俭— frugal, thrifty
  • 省— to save, economize
  • 有— to have, exist (for the negative sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lifestyle was extravagant and wasteful (靡费).
  • The army was routed and dispersed (望风披靡).
  • There is no detail too small (靡微不周).
  • He worked tirelessly day and night (靡日不思).

Collocations

  • extravagant and wasteful(靡费)
  • to be routed and dispersed(披靡)
  • there is none who doesn't(靡不)
  • luxurious and dissipated(奢靡)
  • to blow and scatter(风靡)
  • to toil without rest(靡盬)

Idioms

  • To blow wherever the wind goes(望风披靡)
  • Extravagant and wasteful(靡衣玉食)
  • To toil without rest(靡室靡家)
  • To advance valiantly(所向披靡)
  • To be in vogue(风靡一时)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a house and rice, suggesting luxury and consumption.
  • In classical texts like the Book of Songs, used as a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'none'.
  • Associated with both material extravagance and the concept of negation or absence.

FAQ