Definition
怂恿 (sǒng yǒng) means to instigate or urge someone to do something unwise or wrong — it always carries a negative connotation. Unlike positive 鼓励 (gǔ lì), it implies harmful intent. Among incite-like synonyms, 煽动 (shān dòng) is stronger and often political, while 鼓动 (gǔ dòng) can be neutral; 怂恿 is specifically for urging bad decisions.
verb
(negative connotation) to instigateto inciteto urge (someone to do something unwise or wrong)
Examples
- 怂恿。Tā péngyou sǒng yǒng tā qù dǔbó.His friend instigated him to gamble.
- 怂恿。Nǐ bié sǒng yǒng wǒ qù zuò nà zhǒng wéifǎ de shì.Don't incite me to do that kind of illegal thing.
- 怂恿,。Dōu shì nǐ sǒng yǒng tā cízhí de, xiànzài tā zhǎo bú dào gōngzuò.It was you who urged her to resign, and now she can't find a job.
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