老迈 (lǎo mài) — aged and infirm; senile (formal, literary)

Definition

Literary word for 'aged and infirm', used in writing to describe very old people. It is much more formal than 老人 (lǎorén) and carries a stronger sense of physical decline.

adjective
aged and infirmsenile (formal, literary)

Examples

  • 老迈，。
    Tā suī rán lǎo mài, dàn tóu nǎo yī rán qīng xǐng.
    Although he is aged and infirm, his mind is still clear.
  • 老迈。
    Zhè wèi lǎo mài de lǎo rén xū yào rén zhào gù.
    This aged and infirm elderly person needs someone to take care of them.
  • 老迈，。
    Fù qīn yǐ jīng lǎo mài, zǒu bú dòng lù le.
    Father is already aged and infirm and can't walk anymore.

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.

老lǎoold
迈màiaged

老迈: 老 old and 迈 aged give very old and infirm.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 迈 →

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