TongTong
Sign in

灭绝 (miè jué) — to become extinct; to die out; to exterminate; to wipe out

Definition

灭绝 is the most absolute 'die out / wipe out' — used for entire species, civilizations, or total destruction. Stronger and more final than 消灭 or 灭亡, and broader than 熄灭 (which is only for fire/light).

verb
to become extinctto die outto exterminateto wipe out

Examples

  • 灭绝。
    Zhè zhǒng kǒng lóng yǐ jīng miè jué jǐ bǎi wàn nián le.
    This kind of dinosaur has been extinct for millions of years.
  • 灭绝。
    Jūn duì chè dǐ miè jué le suǒ yǒu dí rén.
    The army completely wiped out all the enemies.
  • 灭绝。
    Tā miè jué le zuì hòu de xī wàng.
    He lost the last shred of hope.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

灭mièextinguish
绝juécut off

灭 expresses extinguishing or destroying, while 绝 expresses cutting off or exhausting; the two meanings combine to denote complete disappearance or extermination.

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.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Biology

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.