惨烈 (cǎn liè) — violent, severe, tragic | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Used for violent, tragic events (wars, accidents, disasters) with a strong sense of loss of life and suffering — stronger than just 'bad' or 'severe'.

adjective

violentseveretragic

Examples

惨烈。
Zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng fēi cháng cǎn liè.
This war is extremely violent.
惨烈。
Zuó tiān de chē huò shí fēn cǎn liè.
Yesterday's car accident was very severe.
惨烈。
Tái fēng dài lái de pò huài fēi cháng cǎn liè.
The destruction brought by the typhoon was very severe.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

惨 adds the sense of tragedy, and 烈 adds the sense of fierceness.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 慘; 惨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

參

參cān慘cǎn

Same sound today

The traditional form 慘 puts 心 (heart) with 參 as its sound part. The simplified 惨 is a later shorthand, so its shape is not the historical form.

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

列灬烈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

灬Written in full as火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

列

列liè烈liè

Same sound today

烈 pairs 列 for the sound with 灬, a form of 火 (fire).

Appears in

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