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蛊惑 (gǔ huò) — to seduce or incite someone into wrongdoing; to poison someone's mind; to bewitch or beguile (into a bad action)

Definition

A formal, written verb for seducing or beguiling someone into wrongdoing — stronger and more literary than 诱惑. Typically used for ideas, propaganda, or people that 'poison' minds and lead others into bad actions.

verb
to seduce or incite someone into wrongdoingto poison someone's mindto bewitch or beguile (into a bad action)

Examples

  • 蛊惑，。
    Zhè xiē yáo yán zài gǔ huò mín zhòng, ràng dà jiā duì zhèng fǔ shī qù xìn rèn.
    These rumors are poisoning people's minds, making everyone lose trust in the government.
  • 蛊惑，。
    Tā bèi huài péng you gǔ huò, zǒu shàng le fàn zuì de dào lù.
    He was seduced into evil by bad friends and embarked on a path of crime.
  • ，。
    Nà bù diàn yǐng hán yǒu gǔ huò rén xīn de qíng jié, zāo dào jìn bō.
    That movie contained plot elements that poison people's hearts, and it was banned.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

蛊gǔbewitch
惑huòconfuse

Both 蛊 and 惑 suggest bewitching and confusing, hence to seduce into wrongdoing.

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 蠱; 蛊 is its simplified writing.

  • 蟲蟲chónginsects
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The traditional form 蠱 shows 蟲 (insects) and 皿 (container): poisonous insects raised in a container.

Open 蛊 →

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
或
或huò惑huò
Same sound today

惑 uses 或 for the sound and 心, the heart, for the meaning.

Open 惑 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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