跋扈 (bá hù) — bossy; domineering; overbearing

Definition

A strong, literary adjective for someone 'bossy and domineering' in manner — far more forceful than the everyday 任性. Usually describes powerful people (leaders, elders) who act arbitrarily and brook no opposition.

adjective
bossydomineeringoverbearing

Examples

  • 跋扈，。
    Tā zài gōng sī lǐ yí xiàng bá hù, méi rén gǎn fǎn duì tā.
    He has always been domineering in the company; no one dares to oppose him.
  • 跋扈。
    Zhè zhǒng bá hù de tài dù chí zǎo huì ràng tā shī qù péng you.
    This kind of overbearing attitude will sooner or later cause him to lose friends.
  • 跋扈。
    Lì shǐ shàng nà xiē bá hù de tǒng zhì zhě zuì zhōng dōu bèi tuī fān le.
    The domineering rulers throughout history were all overthrown in the end.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

跋bá
扈hù

跋 and 扈 do not carry separate meanings here; together they mean bossy or domineering.

Sound-only characters

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
犮
犮bá跋bá
Same sound today

跋 pairs 足 (foot) with 犮, which gives the sound. The 足 part shows that the word is about using the feet.

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
邑邑yìarea
Sound part声符shēngfú
戸
戸hù扈hù
Same sound today

The shape of 扈 combines 戸, used for the sound, with 邑, meaning “area.”

Open 扈 →

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