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烦躁 (fán zào) — irritable, restless, fidgety

Definition

An adjective for feeling fidgety and on edge from stress, heat, or pressure — a passing low mood rather than a fixed trait. Lighter than 暴躁 (hot-tempered outburst) and less anxious than 焦躁.

adjective
irritablerestlessfidgety

Examples

  • ，烦躁。
    Zuì jìn gōng zuò yā lì tài dà, tā biàn de hěn fán zào.
    He's become very irritable lately because of too much work pressure.
  • ，烦躁。
    Hái zi yì zhí kū, ràng mā ma gǎn dào fán zào bù ān.
    The baby kept crying, making the mother feel restless and upset.
  • ，烦躁。
    Tiān qì yòu mēn yòu rè, rén róng yì fán zào.
    When the weather is stuffy and hot, people easily get irritable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

烦fánannoyed
躁zàorestless

烦 suggests being annoyed and 躁 suggests being restless; together they describe irritable fidgetiness.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 煩; 烦 is its simplified writing.

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 頁頁yèhead

In the traditional form 煩, the shape is made from 火 (fire) and 頁 (head).

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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