泯灭 (mǐn miè) — (literary) to die out completely; to vanish without a trace

Definition

Literary verb meaning to fade and disappear completely, used for things like hope, conscience, or memory — stronger and more formal than everyday 消失.

verb
(literary) to die out completelyto vanish without a trace

Examples

  • 泯灭。
    Rén de liáng xīn bù néng mǐn miè.
    A person's conscience should never die out.
  • ，泯灭。
    Shī bài hòu, tā de xī wàng bìng méi yǒu wán quán mǐn miè.
    After failure, his hope did not completely vanish.
  • 泯灭。
    Guò qù de jì yì bú huì suí shí jiān ér mǐn miè.
    Memories of the past won't vanish with time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

泯mǐndie out
灭mièextinguish

泯 and 灭 both express disappearing or extinguishing, reinforcing the idea of vanishing completely.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 泯 →

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 滅; 灭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
烕
烕miè滅miè
Same sound today

The traditional form 滅 pairs 氵 (water) with 烕 as a sound part to mean extinguish by water; the simplified 灭 is a later shorthand.

Open 灭 →

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