鹜 (wù) - duck & wild duck

鹜Tone 4

wù ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

鹜 · wù

duck;

wild duck;

to pursue;

to seek after

duckwild duckto pursue

Usage highlights

wild duckto pursue fame and gainlone wild duckflock of ducksto pursue external thingsto chase after

Synonyms

  • 鸭— duck (more common term)
  • 追求— to pursue, to seek
  • 追逐— to chase, to pursue

Antonyms

  • 弃— to abandon, to give up
  • 舍— to relinquish, to give up

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A flock of wild ducks flew south (群鹜南飞).
  • He is single-mindedly pursuing fame and gain (一心鹜求名利).
  • The sunset glow and lone wild duck fly together (落霞与孤鹜齐飞).
  • Don't aim too high in your pursuits (好高勿鹜).

Collocations

  • wild duck(野鹜)
  • to pursue fame and gain(鹜名逐利)
  • lone wild duck(孤鹜)
  • flock of ducks(群鹜)
  • to pursue external things(外鹜)
  • to chase after(鹜求)

Idioms

  • The heart chasing after external things(心鹜外物)
  • Chasing after fame and profit(趋名鹜利)
  • Running after the new and different(好新鹜奇)
  • Sunset glow and lone wild duck fly together(落霞与孤鹜齐飞)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese poetry, '孤鹜' (lone wild duck) often appears as an elegant image, most famously in Wang Bo's 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng'.
  • The character carries both the literal meaning of 'wild duck' and the extended meaning of 'pursuit', reflecting the duck's characteristic of actively seeking food.
  • In naming, it's rarely used due to its complex structure and the potential negative connotation of 'blind pursuit'.

FAQ