Taxonomy of meanings for 怯:　　

  • 怯 qiè (OC: khab MC: kʰiɐp) 去劫切 入 廣韻：【同怯 】
  • 怯 qiè (OC: khab MC: kʰiɐp) 去劫切 入 廣韻：【畏也去劫切九 】
    • COWARDLY
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthe cowardly
      • vadNfearful; chicken-hearted; frightened
      • vilack courage where one ought to show courage, be pusillanimous, be prone to get frightened; generally: get frightened
      • vtoNbe fearful about and reluctant to, feel reticent to
    • FEAR
      • vtoNbe fretful in relation to/on the occasion of
      • vibe fretful, be skittish; be nervousCH
    • ILL
    • VULGAR
      • DISCARD
        • ILLNESSES

          Additional information about 怯

          說文解字: 【㹤】、多畏也。从犬、去聲。 【去劫切】 【怯】，杜林說：㹤从心。

            Criteria
          • FEAR

            1. The most general word for any kind of passing fear is probably jù 懼 and this word naturally links with yōu 憂 "worry", and this word refers to a momentary historical moment where that fear manifested itself ( 文王乃懼 "then King Wén got scared"). Jù sǐ 懼死 is momentary fear for one's life, whereas wèi sǐ 畏死 refers to a general state where one is too frightened to sacrifice one's life.

            2. Kǒng 恐 refers primarily to intense or overwhelming possibly passing state of fear, and the word differs from jù 懼 mainly in degree of intensity and in the managability of the danger faced.

            3. Wèi 畏 is typically a stable state of reasoned fear, typically relating those who are in authority (the etymologically related wēi 威 on which relation there is much word-play in texts like ZUO), or ghosts etc, but the word also has extended generalised uses, as in wèi sǐ 畏死 "be afraid to die".

            4. Jīng 驚 refers to the sudden onset of fear when someone is faced with an unexpected danger.

            5. Lì 栗 / 慄 and zhàn 戰 is to shiver with intense fear, and the physical expression of fear can be more prominent the inner feeling expressed through shivering.

            6. Qiè 怯 "chicken-livered and unlikely to undertake risky tasks" and nuò 懦 (ant. yǒng 勇 "courage, boldness") as well as dàn 憚 "unduly prone to feelings of fear" refer to being pusilanimousness or the lack or courage where courage is required.

            7. Bù 怖 "be in a current acute state of fear" has no weakened generalised uses.

            8. Sǒng 悚 / 聳 "be fretful, given to fear; get slightly frightened" refers to mild forms of (possibly superfluous or reprehensible) fear.

            9. Jì 悸 refers to symptoms of violent heart-beat caused by intense fear.

            NB: Pà 怕 is post-Buddhist (TANG).

          • COURAGE

            1. The standard general word for courage is yǒng 勇 (ant. nuò 懦 "pusillanimousness, chicken-liveredness"), which refers to positive boldness evinced in the face of danger or risk. Cf. fortitudo

            2. Hàn 悍 (ant. qiè 怯 "fearfulness") is foolhardiness and recklessness under conditions of danger or risk. Cf. Latin ferocia

            3. Gǎn 敢 (ant. qiè 怯 "fearfulness") is the ability of an individual to take considered reasonable risks where appropriate or where required by ritual propriety.

            4. Guǒ 果 and duàn 斷 (ant. xū1 需 "hestant") is general resoluteness as an attitude towards the conduct of one's affairs. Cf. Latin audacia

            5. Zhì 志 "morale, fighting spirit" and the rarer wǔ 武 is the courageous warlike attitude of a whole group. Cf. Latin acrimonia, animus

            6. Qì 氣 "morale, fighting spirit" is typically the morale of an individual but can also occasionally be used of groups. Cf. Latin spiritus

            Word relations
          • Ant: (COWARDLY)勇/COURAGE The standard general word for courage is yǒng 勇 (ant. nuò 懦 "pusillanimousness, chicken-liveredness"), which refers to positive boldness evinced in the face of danger or risk. Cf. fortitudo
          • Assoc: (COWARDLY)懾/FEAR
          • Assoc: (COWARDLY)愚/STUPID The dominant word is yú 愚 (ant. zhì 智 "clever; wise"), and the word refers to intellectual obtuseness as well as practical ineptitude.