Definition
恶性 (è xìng) is used as a modifier in fixed compounds, especially medical terms (恶性 肿瘤 'malignant tumor') and economic/financial contexts (恶性循环 'vicious circle', 恶性通货膨胀 'runaway inflation'). It describes a negative, self-reinforcing quality, not a person's moral character — for 'evil' or 'wicked' applied to people, use 邪恶 (xié è) or 凶恶 (xiōng è).
adjective
(medicine) malignantcancerous(of a cycle or competition) viciouscutthroatself-reinforcing in a negative way(of economic trends) runawayrapid and severe (decline, inflation)
Examples
- 恶性。Yīshēng fāxiàn tā de zhǒngliú shì è xìng de.The doctor found that his tumor was malignant.
- ，。Zhège gōngsī xiàn rù le è xìng xúnhuán, yuè zuò yuè chà.This company fell into a vicious circle, getting worse the more it did.
- 恶性。Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài cǎiqǔ cuòshī fángzhǐ è xìng tōnghuò péngzhàng.The government is taking measures to prevent runaway inflation.
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