张狂 (zhāng kuáng) — arrogant and unrestrained; insolent; flippant

Definition

Unrestrained arrogance — bold, brash, and dismissive of others. Stronger and more aggressive than 傲慢; implies wild, undisciplined behavior rather than mere pride.

adjective
arrogant and unrestrainedinsolentflippant

Examples

  • 张狂，。
    Tā shuō huà hěn zhāng kuáng, ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    He speaks very arrogantly, making people very uncomfortable.
  • 张狂，。
    Zhè ge nián qīng rén tài zhāng kuáng le, shuí dōu bú fàng zài yǎn lǐ.
    This young person is too insolent — he looks down on everyone.
  • 张狂。
    Tā de zhāng kuáng tài dù yǐn qǐ le dà jiā de bù mǎn.
    His flippant attitude caused everyone's dissatisfaction.

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.

张zhāngarrogant
狂kuángmad

张 and 狂 both suggest arrogance or unrestrained behavior, giving insolent.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 張; 张 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng張zhāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 張 combines 弓, a bow, with 長, which points to the sound; the simplified 张 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 张 →

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
㞷
㞷㞷狂kuáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

狂 pairs 犭 (dog) with 㞷, which gives the sound; 㞷 is an old form of a character meaning 'to go'.

Open 狂 →

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