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污蔑 (wū miè) — to slander, to smear, to tarnish

Definition

污蔑 is a strong written/formal verb for accusing someone of something false to damage their reputation. Stronger and more literary than 诽谤 ('to slander/libel').

verb
to slanderto smearto tarnish

Examples

  • 污蔑。
    Tā jīng cháng bèi rén wū miè.
    He is often slandered by others.
  • 污蔑。
    Bú yào wū miè hǎo rén.
    Don't slander good people.
  • 污蔑。
    Zhè zhǒng yán lùn shì duì tā de wū miè.
    This kind of statement is a slander against him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

污wūdefile
蔑mièslander

污 defile and 蔑 slander together mean smear someone's name.

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 汙; 污 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
于
于yú汙wū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 汙 pairs 水 (water) with 于 for the sound; the simplified 污 is a later shorthand.

Open 污 →

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

  • 𦰋𦰋𦰋person
  • 戈戈gēdagger-axe

蔑 combines 𦰋, a person, with 戈, a dagger-axe, to picture a weapon striking a person's lower leg, meaning to obliterate.

Open 蔑 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Conflict & Agreement

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