攻心 (gōng xīn) — to attack psychologically; to undermine someone's morale or emotional state; (Chinese medicine) to fall into a coma caused by extreme emotional shock

Definition

A formal/strategic verb meaning 'to attack psychologically' — undermine morale, break resolve, or (in Chinese medicine) collapse into a coma from extreme shock. Used in military, political, or medical contexts, not everyday speech.

verb
to attack psychologicallyto undermine someone's morale or emotional state(Chinese medicine) to fall into a coma caused by extreme emotional shock
Easily confused

Examples

  • 攻心，。
    Dí rén de xuān chuán jiù shì zài gōng xīn, shì tú ràng wǒ men dòng yáo.
    The enemy's propaganda is a psychological attack meant to shake our resolve.
  • ，。
    Nà cì biàn lùn tā duì wǒ fāng gōng le yí cì xīn, dàn xiào guǒ bú dà.
    During that debate, he launched a psychological attack against our side, but it didn't work well.
  • 攻心，。
    Bìng rén yīn tū fā jīng xià ér gōng xīn, xū lì kè zhēn jiǔ.
    The patient fell into a coma from a sudden fright and needs immediate acupuncture.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

攻gōngattack
心xīnheart/mind

攻 means to attack and 心 means the heart or mind; together they mean to attack someone psychologically.

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
攵Written in full as攴pūhand holding a tool or weapon
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng攻gōng
Same sound today

攻 puts 工, which gives the pronunciation, beside 攵, a hand holding a tool or weapon.

Open 攻 →

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

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