威仪 (wēi yí) — impressive and dignified manner; awe-inspiring bearing

Definition

A formal noun for an impressive, dignified bearing — typically used in writing about leaders, ceremonies, or ancient/imperial contexts, not casual speech.

noun
impressive and dignified mannerawe-inspiring bearing

Examples

  • 威仪。
    Zhè wèi jiāng jūn de wēi yí lìng rén sù rán qǐ jìng.
    This general's dignified bearing commands awe and respect.
  • ，，威仪。
    Diǎn lǐ shàng, tā jǔ zhǐ zhuāng zhòng, jìn xiǎn wēi yí.
    At the ceremony, his solemn demeanor fully displayed his impressive dignity.
  • ，威仪。
    Gǔ dài dì wáng chū xíng shí, yí zhàng duì bǎo chí wēi yí.
    When ancient emperors traveled, the honor guard maintained an awe-inspiring and dignified manner.

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.

威wēiawe
仪yíbearing

威 and 仪 both convey dignified bearing, together meaning an impressive manner.

Characters in this word

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

威 is made by combining 戌 and 女.

Open 威 →

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 儀; 仪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì儀yí
Same sound today

In the traditional form 儀, the left part 亻 shows a person, and the right part 義 supplies the sound. This description is about 儀, not the simplified 仪.

Open 仪 →

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