下策 (xià cè) — a bad plan; a stupid move; the worst strategy

Definition

Refers to the worst option among several strategies — a clearly bad or foolish choice, as opposed to 上策 ('best plan') or 中策 ('middle-ground plan').

noun

a bad plana stupid movethe worst strategy

Easily confused

下策。
Fàng qì tán pàn zhí jiē dòng wǔ shì xià cè.
Abandoning negotiations and using force directly is a bad plan.
下策。
Kǎo shì qián áo yè tōng xiāo fù xí jué duì shì xià cè.
Staying up all night cramming before an exam is definitely a stupid move.
下策，。
Tā xuǎn zé le xià cè, jié guǒ sǔn shī cǎn zhòng.
He chose the worst strategy and suffered heavy losses.

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.

下xiàinferior

“下” means inferior, and “策” is a plan, meaning a bad plan.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

竹朿策

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì策cè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

策 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 朿 as a sound part.