齬 (yǔ) - Uneven, irregular & not aligned

齬Tone 3

yǔ ｜ 22 strokes ｜ radical:

与喻

齬 · yǔ

Uneven, irregular;

not aligned;

used primarily in the word 齟齬 (jǔyǔ) meaning 'disagreement, discord, conflict'.

Uneven, irregularnot alignedused primarily in the word 齟齬 (jǔyǔ) meaning

Usage highlights

Disagreement, discordGears not meshingTeeth not alignedOpinions in conflictA minor rift

Synonyms

  • 矛盾— contradiction, conflict
  • 分歧— difference, divergence
  • 冲突— conflict, clash

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • There was a slight disagreement between them (他们之间有些龃龉).
  • The gears did not mesh properly (齿轮龃龉).
  • The two accounts do not align (两种说法相互龃龉).

Collocations

  • Disagreement, discord(龃龉)
  • Gears not meshing(齿轮龃龉)
  • Teeth not aligned(牙齿龃龉)
  • Opinions in conflict(意见龃龉)
  • A minor rift(小有龃龉)

Idioms

  • To have a disagreement or conflict(龃龉不合)
  • Mutual discord and disharmony(互相龃龉)
  • A minor misunderstanding or rift(小有龃龉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 齬 originally described teeth that were uneven or did not meet properly.
  • It is almost exclusively used in the compound word 齟齬 (jǔyǔ), which metaphorically extends the meaning to any kind of misalignment or disagreement.
  • Its usage is more common in formal or literary contexts than in everyday speech.

FAQ