惊恐 (jīng kǒng) — terrified, panic-stricken

Definition

adjective

terrifiedpanic-stricken

惊恐。
Rén men bèi yǎn qián de jǐng xiàng jīng kǒng dé shuō bù chū huà lái.
People were so terrified by the scene before them that they couldn't speak.
惊恐。
Tā liǎn shàng lù chū jīng kǒng de biǎo qíng.
A look of terror appeared on his face.
惊恐。
Zhè zhǒng jīng kǒng de gǎn jué jiǔ jiǔ wú fǎ sàn qù.
This feeling of terror couldn't dissipate for a long time.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

惊jīngstartled/frightened

恐kǒngafraid/fear

Both 惊 and 恐 convey fear, so together they intensify the sense of being terrified.

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.

忄京惊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

京

Same sound today

惊 is made from 忄 (heart) and 京, which gives the sound.

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

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢀜

𢀜𢀜恐kǒng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

恐 is written with 心 (heart). The older form pairs 心 with 𢀜; the modern form can be read as 巩 above 心.

Appears in