毙 (bì) — to die (violently, especially by shooting or execution); (colloquial) to shoot (to death); (slang) to be rejected (e.g., a manuscript, proposal)
Definition
毙 (bì) is an emphatic, somewhat violent verb meaning to kill by shooting or execution, and in slang it means to reject/throw out (a proposal, paper). Far stronger than the plain 死 ('to die') and used mainly in written or news contexts.
verb
to die (violently, especially by shooting or execution)(colloquial) to shoot (to death)(slang) to be rejected (e.g., a manuscript, proposal)
Examples
- 。Tā bèi rén yòng qiāng bì le.He was shot dead by someone.
- 毙。Tā de lùn wén bèi biān jí bì le.His paper was rejected by the editor.
- 。Tā yīn shāng shì guò zhòng ér bì mìng.He died from severe injuries.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 斃; 毙 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 斃 combines 死, meaning death, with 敝, which gives the sound. The simplified 毙 is a later shorthand.
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