深恶痛绝 (shēn è tòng jué) — to abhor, to detest (extremely); (formal) to regard with deep loathing

Definition

A very strong, formal idiom meaning 'to abhor / detest deeply' — used in writing to condemn wrongdoing or people one finds utterly hateful. Far stronger than ordinary verbs like 讨厌.

idiom
to abhorto detest (extremely)(formal) to regard with deep loathing

Examples

  • 深恶痛绝。
    Tā zhè zhǒng qī piàn xíng wéi ràng rén shēn è tòng jué.
    This kind of deceitful behavior of his makes people abhor it.
  • 深恶痛绝。
    Qún zhòng duì fǔ bài xiàn xiàng shēn è tòng jué.
    The masses deeply detest corruption.
  • 深恶痛绝。
    Wǒ shēn è tòng jué xū wěi de rén.
    I abhor hypocritical people.

Origin

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍深shēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

Open 深 →

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 惡; 恶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
亞
亞yā惡è
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 惡 pairs 心 (heart) as the meaning part with 亞 (yā) as the sound part; the simplified 恶 is a later shorthand.

Open 恶 →

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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