冷峻 (lěng jùn) — cold and stern (of expression, demeanor, or tone); grave and forbidding

Definition

Literary adjective for a 'cold and stern' look, tone, or writing style — austere, emotionally distant, imposing. Stronger than 严肃; 冷 means emotionally detached, 峻 adds severity.

adjective
cold and stern (of expression, demeanor, or tone)grave and forbidding

Examples

  • 冷峻，。
    Tā de mù guāng lěng jùn ér jiān dìng, ràng rén bù gǎn zhí shì.
    His gaze was cold and resolute, making people afraid to look directly at him.
  • 冷峻，。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā de wén fēng lěng jùn, hěn shǎo liú lù gǎn qíng.
    This writer's style is cold and severe, rarely showing emotion.
  • ，冷峻。
    Miàn duì pī píng, tā shǐ zhōng bǎo chí zhe lěng jùn de biǎo qíng.
    Faced with criticism, he maintained a cold and stern expression throughout.

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.

冷lěngcold
峻jùnharsh

冷 (cold) and 峻 (harsh) combine to describe a stern, forbidding manner.

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
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng冷lěng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Open 冷 →

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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn峻jùn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

峻 pairs 山, showing a mountain, with 夋, which gives its sound.

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