TongTong
Sign in

呆滞 (dāi zhì) — (of eyes or expression) dull, blank, vacant; (of business or economy) sluggish, stagnant

Definition

Describes a blank, lifeless look (eyes, expression) or stalled activity (business, economy). Both senses share the feel of something unnaturally still — no energy, no movement.

verb
(of eyes or expression) dullblankvacant(of business or economy) sluggishstagnant

Examples

  • 呆滞。
    Tā de biǎo qíng fēi cháng dāi zhì.
    His expression was very dull.
  • 呆滞，。
    Jīng jì dāi zhì de shí hou, hěn duō rén shī yè.
    When the economy is sluggish, many people lose their jobs.
  • 呆滞。
    Tā de yǎn jing dāi zhì wú guāng.
    Her eyes were dull and lifeless.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

呆dāidull
滞zhìstagnant

“呆” means dull or vacant, and “滞” means stagnant; together they describe a blank expression or sluggish state.

Characters in this word

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

呆 combines 口 (mouth) and 木 (wood) to show something dull or wooden, which came to mean foolish.

Open 呆 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 滯; 滞 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
帶
帶dài滯zhì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滯 combines 水 (water) with 帶, which gives the pronunciation; the simplified 滞 is a later shorthand.

Open 滞 →
Appears in
Appearance

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.