狂飙 (kuáng biāo) — violent storm, fierce wind; violent movement or force (often used metaphorically for a powerful, sweeping change or upheaval)

Definition

Literally a 'fierce gale / violent storm', but in modern usage it's almost always metaphorical — the rapid, sweeping force of change (e.g. AI, a revolution, a market surge) surging through society.

noun
violent stormfierce windviolent movement or force (often used metaphorically for a powerful, sweeping change or upheaval)
Measure word · 阵

Examples

  • 狂飙。
    Yì chǎng kuáng biāo xí juǎn le zhěng gè chéng shì.
    A violent storm swept through the entire city.
  • 狂飙，。
    Zhè chǎng gé mìng rú tóng kuáng biāo, gǎi biàn le guó jiā de mìng yùn.
    This revolution was like a violent storm, changing the fate of the country.
  • 狂飙。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng jī qǐ le kuáng biāo bān de fǎn xiǎng.
    His speech stirred up a storm-like response.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

狂kuángwild
飙biāowhirlwind

狂 (wild) and 飙 (whirlwind) describe a fierce, sweeping wind.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
㞷
㞷㞷狂kuáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

狂 pairs 犭 (dog) with 㞷, which gives the sound; 㞷 is an old form of a character meaning 'to go'.

Open 狂 →

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 飆; 飙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
風風fēngwind
Sound part声符shēngfú
猋
猋biāo飆
Same sound today

The traditional form 飆 pairs 風 (wind) with 猋 for its sound; the simplified 飙 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 飙 →

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