Definition
滋长 is a formal verb meaning 'to grow, to develop', but it often carries a negative connotation — it is frequently used for undesirable tendencies, emotions, or phenomena (e.g., 滋长骄傲情绪 'to breed arrogance', 滋长不正之风 'to allow unhealthy trends to grow'). It is less common for positive growth (use 生长 or 发展 instead). The English gloss 'yield' is misleading; 滋长 does not mean 'to produce a result' in the way 'yield' does.
v.
to growto develop (often of negative tendencies or emotions)
Examples
- 滋长。Bùliáng qíngxù zài tuánduì zhōng zhújiàn zī zhǎng qǐlái.Bad emotions gradually grew in the team.
- ,滋长。Rúguǒ bù jíshí jiūzhèng, zhè zhǒng fēngqì huì zī zhǎng.If not corrected in time, this trend will grow.
- 滋长。Tā de xīn zhōng zī zhǎng le yì zhǒng qiángliè de zérèngǎn.A strong sense of responsibility grew in his heart.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.