乖戾 (guāi lì) — perverse, disagreeable (of character or behavior)

Definition

Written, strong word for a person whose character or behavior is perverse and difficult to get along with — much stronger and more literary than everyday 'difficult'. Used mostly for traits, not temporary moods.

adjective
perversedisagreeable (of character or behavior)

Examples

  • 乖戾。
    Zhè ge rén de xìng gé shí fēn guāi lì.
    This person's character is very perverse.
  • 乖戾，。
    Tā shuō huà de fāng shì yǒu xiē guāi lì, ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    His way of speaking is somewhat disagreeable, making people very uncomfortable.
  • 乖戾，。
    Tā de xíng wéi yuè lái yuè guāi lì, dà jiā dōu bú yuàn yì gēn tā lái wǎng.
    Her behavior is becoming more and more perverse, and nobody wants to associate with her.

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.

乖guāicontrary
戾lìviolent

乖 gives contrary, 戾 gives violent, together they describe a perverse character.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 乖 →

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

The picture shows a dog bending to enter through a door, giving the sense of bending, then crooked or contrary.

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