众望 (zhòng wàng) — popular expectations, public confidence (formal)

Definition

A formal, written noun for what the public expects or hopes for — almost always appears in fixed phrases like 不负众望 or 众望所归. It is not used in everyday speech.

noun
popular expectationspublic confidence (formal)

Examples

  • 众望，。
    Tā wèi le bú fù zhòng wàng, yì zhí nǔ lì gōng zuò.
    He worked hard so as not to fail public expectations.
  • 众望，。
    Zhè cì gǎi gé shēn dé zhòng wàng, shòu dào le guǎng fàn zhī chí.
    This reform enjoys great popular confidence and has received widespread support.
  • 。
    Tā dāng xuǎn huì zhǎng shì zhòng wàng suǒ guī.
    His election as chairman is a case of popular expectations crystallizing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

众zhòngmany people
望wàngexpectation

众 suggests many people, and 望 suggests expectation, so together they mean public confidence or expectations.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 眾; 众 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 眾 shows three people under a sun-like shape, meaning a crowd gathered under the sun; the simplified 众 is a later shorthand.

Open 众 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 臣臣chéneye
  • 𡈼𡈼𡈼person standing on the ground

望 originally showed 臣 (eye) beside 𡈼 (person standing on the ground): a person standing up and looking off into the distance. Later 月 was added, and the 臣 part became 亡.

Open 望 →

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