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威慑 (wēi shè) — to deter, to intimidate (with military or strategic power)

Definition

威慑 (wēi shè) is a formal verb meaning 'to deter' — using military or strategic power to keep an enemy from acting, not merely frightening them. Stronger and more strategic than 吓 (to scare someone in the moment).

verb
to deterto intimidate (with military or strategic power)

Examples

  • 威慑。
    Qiáng dà de hǎi jūn lì liàng néng gòu wēi shè qián zài dí rén.
    A powerful naval force can deter potential adversaries.
  • 威慑，。
    Zhè ge xié yì de mù dì shì hù xiāng wēi shè, bì miǎn zhàn zhēng.
    The purpose of this agreement is to mutually deter and avoid war.
  • 威慑。
    Hé wǔ qì shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de zhàn lüè wēi shè shǒu duàn.
    Nuclear weapons are an important strategic means of deterrence.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

威wēiawe
慑shèintimidate

The awe in 威 and the intimidation in 慑 combine to mean deter or intimidate.

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 懾; 慑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
聶
聶niè懾
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 懾 pairs 心 (heart) with 聶 as a sound part; the simplified 慑 is a later shorthand.

Open 慑 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Military & Defense

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