凄厉 (qī lì) — (of a sound) piercing and mournful; shrill and desolate

Definition

Describes a sound that is piercing and mournful — sharper and more haunting than simply loud, like a wail or scream. Pairs with sounds (哭声, 惨叫, 呼啸), not sights.

adjective
(of a sound) piercing and mournfulshrill and desolate

Examples

  • 凄厉，。
    Chuāng wài chuán lái qī lì de kū shēng, ràng rén xīn lǐ fā máo.
    A piercing wail came from outside the window, sending chills down one's spine.
  • 凄厉，。
    Hán fēng qī lì dì hū xiào zhe, zhěng yè bù tíng.
    The bitter wind howled shrilly, never stopping all night.
  • 凄厉。
    Zhàn chǎng shàng qī lì de cǎn jiào lìng rén zhōng shēng nán wàng.
    The desolate screams on the battlefield were unforgettable for a lifetime.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

凄qīmournful
厉lìharsh

凄 gives mournfulness and 厉 gives harshness, together describing a piercing, desolate sound.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
妻
妻qī凄qī
Same sound today

凄 combines 冫 (ice, written fully as 仌) to show cold with 妻 to give the sound.

Open 凄 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 厲; 厉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
厂厂chǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
蠆
蠆chài厲lì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 厲 uses 厂 for meaning and 蠆 for sound; 厉 is not the form whose parts are being described.

Open 厉 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.