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毁灭 (huǐ miè) — to destroy completely; to annihilate; (intransitive) to perish; to be destroyed

Definition

毁灭 means to destroy completely, with nothing left — stronger than 破坏 (which can be partial damage). Often used intransitively for civilizations, species, or hopes perishing entirely.

verb
to destroy completelyto annihilate(intransitive) to perishto be destroyed

Examples

  • 毁灭。
    Zhè chǎng dì zhèn huǐ miè le zhěng gè chéng shì.
    This earthquake destroyed the entire city.
  • 毁灭。
    Dǔ bó huì huǐ miè nǐ de jiā tíng.
    Gambling will ruin your family.
  • 毁灭。
    Zhè ge gǔ lǎo de wén míng zài zhàn zhēng zhōng huǐ miè le.
    This ancient civilization perished in war.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

毁huǐruin
灭mièextinguish

毁 means to ruin and 灭 means to extinguish, giving the sense of total ruin or annihilation.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 毀; 毁 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 毀 combines 臼 (cracked skull), 工 (tool), and 殳 (hand action) as a man being hit in the head; this explanation is about 毀, not the simplified 毁.

Open 毁 →

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 滅; 灭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
烕
烕miè滅miè
Same sound today

The traditional form 滅 pairs 氵 (water) with 烕 as a sound part to mean extinguish by water; the simplified 灭 is a later shorthand.

Open 灭 →
Appears in
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