Definition
溺 is a verb with two distinct senses: the literal meaning 'to drown' (often in compounds like 溺死 'drown to death') and the figurative meaning 'to be addicted to' or 'to indulge in' (as in 溺爱 'excessive doting' or 沉溺 'to wallow in'). The figurative sense carries a negative connotation of overindulgence or harmful attachment. It is more common in formal or literary contexts than in everyday speech.
v.
to drownto be addicted toto indulge in
Examples
- ,。Tā zài hé lǐ nì shuǐ le, xìnghǎo bèi rén jiù qǐ.He drowned in the river, but luckily someone rescued him.
- ,。Fùmǔ bù yīng guòfèn nì ài háizi, fǒuzé huì hài le tāmen.Parents should not excessively dote on their children, or it will harm them.
- ,。Tā chén nì yú wǎngluò yóuxì, huāngfèi le xuéyè.He indulged in online games and neglected his studies.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.