Taxonomy of meanings for 惡:  

  • è (OC: qaaɡ MC: ʔɑk) 烏各切 入 廣韻:【不善也説文曰過也烏各切又烏故切四 】
  • BAD
    • nab.post-Nfeaturebad image; bad points, dishonourable points 三惡
    • vadNbad; dishonourable; offensive (words); of bad quality (clothes); malignant (of disease); foul (of smells)
    • vadV(eat) badly, nastily, (smell) foul; dishonourably
    • v[adN]nonreferentialwhat is bad; what is undesirable
    • nabconceptbadnessCH
    • v[adN1.]post-N2bad points of N2CH
    • vtoNcausativederived: cast a bad light on N, make N look badCH
    • nab[.post-N]one's own bad points; one's own bad imageCH
    • v[adN]what is badCH
    • vibe bad; be dishonourable; be offensive (words); be of bad quality (clothes);be malignant (of disease); be foul (of smells)LZ
    • morally> WICKED
      • nab.post-V{NUM}actevil deeds; wicked actions
      • nabactwickedness in action
      • nabconceptthe abstract concept of wickedness
      • nabgradedwickedness as a psychological feature 其惡最甚
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthe wicked
      • vadNwicked
      • visubj=nonhumanbe evil; inherently wicked, evil
      • viactbehave wickedly
      • nabfeaturewickednessTWH
      • vilook wickedLZ
      • nab.post-NN=selfone's own wickednessCH
      • subject> VILLAIN
        • v[adN]villain, evil-doerLZ
        • psychological/social> CRUEL
          • vt+prep+NGUOYU: 大惡於民
          • vibe cruel YIJING: 不惡而嚴 "not cruel but strict"
      • object committed> CRIME
        • nabactbad mistake, crime
    • aesthetically> UGLY
      • v[adN]figurativewhat is morally ugly; disgusting things
      • nabstativeugliness
      • nccsubjectwhat is ugly
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthe bad
      • vadNugly; nasty (e.g. disease)
      • vadNfigurativenon-visually ugly
      • vibe ugly; be in terribly bad shape
      • vtoNcausativecause to be ugly, ensure that (something) is of low quality
      • vtoNputativeconsider as ugly; dislike
      • vtoNputative.reflex.自regard (oneself) as ugly
      • subject:physical> EXCREMENT
        • nmsouthern dialect, WUYUECHUNQIU: paraphrase for human excrement.
    • feature> DEFECT
      • npost-NdefectCH
      • event> DISASTER
        • nabeventevents that are bad for one; disasters
      • medical> ILLNESS
        • nabstatebad illness
      • in ability> INCOMPETENT
        • nabfeatureincompetence
        • “badly”> INTENSELY
          • vadVbadly, extremely, intensely
  • wū (OC: qaa MC: ʔuo) 哀都切 平 廣韻:【安也 】
  • ONOMATOPOETICA
    • padSOh:...
    • padSexclamatoryOh! Waw!
  • grammatical:source> WHENCE
    • padVrhetorical questionwhere? whence? also used in rhet. questions
    • mode> HOW
      • padVhow? (non-rhetorical)
      • padVrhetorical questionhow? i.e. in no way!
  • wù (OC: qaaɡs MC: ʔuo) 烏路切 去 廣韻:【憎惡也又烏各切 】
  • consider to be bad> HATE
    • nabpsychhatred; dislikes (versus likes); bad feelings; hating people
    • vt(oN)dislike the contextually determinate N
    • vt+prep+Nact hatefully towards
    • vt+prep+Ncausativecause to be hated by
    • vt+V[0]hate to
    • vtoNgradedhate openly, detest, dislike strongly; LY 4.3: truly and properly dislike 甚惡"strongly dislike"
    • vtoNpassivebe hated, be exposed to hatred
    • vtoNpsychhate (oneself)
    • vtoNPab{S}hate it that, hate it when
    • vtpost-.VtoNhave relations of hatred with N
    • vttoN1.+prep+N2causativecause N1 to be hated by N2
    • vtoNtake a hostile attitude towards, act hatefully towardsCH
    • vtoNPab{S}hate the very idea that S might happenLZ
    • physically> ATTACK
      • vtoNstart hostilities against
      • verbally: direct> CRITICISE
        • nabactblame and criticism
        • vtoNab{S}criticise the act of S; strongly disapprove of Nab
        • vt+prep+Ncontinuativecriticise heavily, deplore stronglyCH
        • verbally, behind the back> SLANDER
          • nabactslander
          • vtoNdeclarativespeak ill of (usually to superiors), malign
          • vttoN1.+prep+N2malign N1 to N2, slander N1 in front of N2

    Additional information about 惡

    說文解字: 【惡】,過也。从心、亞聲。 【烏各切】

      Criteria
    • PRAISE

      1. The current general word for praise is yù 譽 (ant. huǐ 毀 "speak ill of"), and the word often refers to straightforward objective praise rather than eulogy..

      2. Chēng 稱 (ant. bang 謗 "speak ill of behind his back") refers to "honourable mentioning" in public contexts and favourable public assessment of someone.

      3. Bāo 褒 (ant. biǎn 貶 "make derogatory remarks about") refers to a person with a certain authority passing a positive judgment on someone.

      4. Jiā 嘉 (ant. sǔn 損 "make belittling remarks about") refers to commending someone for a certain action or for past behaviour.

      5. Zàn 讚/贊 "eulogise" (ant. dǐ 詆 "speak ill of") refers to lyrical, typically exaggerated and overly enthusiastic praise.

      6. Sòng 頌 (ant. zhòu 咒 "make calumniatory remarks about") refers literally to the singing of someone's praises, but as in English, the praising thus described may actually be in ornate prose.

      7. Měi 美 and shàn 善 (all ant. wù 惡 "speak ill of") refer to the bringing out of positive, admirable or morally commendable aspects in something or someone through discourse.

      8. Yáng 揚 (ant. yì 抑 "do down") refers to the spreading of the good name of someone or something.

    • LOVE

      1. The clearly dominant word referring to love is ài 愛 (ant. hèn 恨 "dislike"; rarely zēng 憎 "dislike"; and wù 惡 "hate"), and this word refers both to the feelings of love and to the expression of love in loving care for another person as well as in sexual relations. (Occasionally, the word may refer to the emotional preference that a small child feels for its parents. For this meaning see PREFER.)

      2. Cí 慈 (ant. xiōng 凶 "vicious") refers to loving care, prototypically by mothers for minors or their offspring. When the word refers to ordinary love, it always connotes a high degree of intensity of the caring emotion.

      3. Tì 悌 refers to love between brothers, particularly the love one owes one's eldest brother, and the word is rarely extended to mean brotherly as opposed to erotic or commiserating love.

      4. Xiào 孝 refers to loving respect for one's parents and ancestors in attitude and action, and is a major traditional virtue.

      5. Chǒng 寵 refers to enjoying the attentions and/or affections of a superior.

      6. Xìng 幸 "give sexual favours to (a subject)" and xìng yú 幸於 "enjoy the sexual favours of (a ruler) refer to love sexually expressed.

      7. Bì 嬖 refers to the enjoying of favourite status with a superior, and the term often connotes sexual relations, occasionally even of the homosexual kind.

      8. Mù 慕 prototypically refers to loving devotion of a distant kind, but the word is also used in a more generalised way to refer to affection.

      9. Hào 好 refers to love as a matter of a strong and habitual emotional preference for something. (See PREFER)

    • UGLY

      1. The current standard word for ugliness and despicability is è 惡 (ant. měi 美 "attractive").

      2. Chǒu 醜 (ant. hǎo 好 "handsome") refers specifically to physical unsightliness and does not necessarily connote a general negative judgment on what is unsightly.

      3. Chī 蚩 / 媸 (ant. yán 妍 "attractive") refers primarily to the ugliness of human faces, but the word also has more general and abstract uses where it refers to anything unsightly.

    • BEAUTIFUL

      [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

      [ACOUSTIC/VISUAL]

      [ARTIFICIAL/NATURAL]

      [[COMMON/RARE]]

      [ELEVATED/VULGAR]

      [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

      [HUMAN/NON-HUMAN]

      [POETIC/PROSAIC]

      1. The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty".

      [GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]]

      2. Lì 麗 (ant. sù 素 "unaodorned") is often restricted to physical objects, prototypically to clothes, and emphasises their balanced symmetric beauty, occasionally also - by analogy - the well-aligned symmetric beauty of mountains.

      [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

      3. Wén 文 (ant. zhì 質 "merely material") emphasises cultivated external as well as internal elegance as well as traditionalism.

      [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

      4. Yǎ 雅 (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") emphasises primarily external elevated elegance.

      [ACOUSTIC!], [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED+], [NON-HUMAN]

      5. Hǎo 好 "comely, handsome" (ant. chǒu 醜 "ugly") refers indiscriminately to men and women, but the word is sometimes more general and even abstract in application and refers to attractive words or attractive moral qualities.

      [HUMAN!], [NATURAL], [VISUAL]

      6. Xiù 秀 "of vigorous and imposing beauty" focusses on flourishing and flamboyant beauty in analogy with that of flowers.

      [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [NON-HUMAN], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

      7. Huá 華 "of striking and colourful beauty" (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") focusses on flourishing and flamboyant superficial or only apparent beauty, on the analogy analogy with that of flowers.

      [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], NON-HUMAN], [SUPERFICIAL], [VISUAL]

      8. Zhuàng 壯 "stately" (ant. ruò 弱 "weak and unsightly") is virile beauty associated with strength and vigour. See STRONG

      [NATURAL], [MARGINAL], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

      9. Jiā 佳 "of outstanding beauty" (NB: liè 劣 "unremarkable" is the ant. of jiā 佳 "outstanding", and not in the meaning of "outstandingly beautiful") emphasises comparative beauty compared to others in the same group.

      [GRADED], [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [POETIC]

      10. Dū 都 "urbane and exquisitely beautiful" (ant. bì 鄙 "rustic and inelegant") is a highly poetic word that can only be used in elevated prose.

      [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

      11. Yán 妍 "attractive and exquisite (of humans as well as human products)" (ant. chì 蚩 "unattractive") refers to elaborate beauty. See SEXY.

      [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [HUMAN], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

      12. Xiū 脩 / 修 "refined moral beauty" refers to moral as well as physical beauty, thus coming close the Greek kalokagathia, but never approaching the latter in importance as a cultural keyword.

      <div>[ELEVATED], [ARTIFICIAL]; [[RARE]]</div><div><br></div><div>吳蓬,東方審美詞彙集萃,上海文藝出版社,2002 lists the following rough definitions of a variety of terms of aesthetic appreciation by the artist and scholar Wu Peng. Many of these terms express conventional appreciative flattery only. This list does provide one not particularly well-known artist's subjective readings of some basic terms of traditional Chinese aesthetic approbation.</div><div>勃:富有生机之突起。<br>苍:浓的,毛的,老练的。<br>沉:沉着不浮,有重量感。<br>冲:调成和淡之意向。<br>饬:整顿。<br>粗:大而不笨者。<br>淳:清,往往易薄,然而淳是清中滋润之厚。<br>醇:与淳略同,这醇是提炼后的滋润之厚。<br>绰:与"约"字合用,即舒而不纵之意。<br>澹:平静而有幽淡之趣。<br>淡:与浓艳相对。<br>宕:放荡不拘。<br>跌:往往与"宕"字合用,即是起伏明显之状。<br>端:方正而不出偏,有稳实感。<br>敦:很实在的,结实的厚。<br>繁:众而密,有生气。<br>方:与平正同义。<br>丰:饱满而充足。<br>风:审美中之"风"指的是一种气韵格调。<br>飞:大幅度的流动。<br>刚:属于阳性的,有正力的,与柔软相对。</div><div>高:俯视一切的、超然得不一般。<br>工:规矩,不潦草。<br>孤:自我独立。<br>古:旧气,更有历史的抗怀千载之迹象。<br>骨:内在的架子。<br>犷:是跟"雄悍"接近,在粗中发展开来。<br>瑰:不单调的美。<br>乖:不和顺。<br>憨:近于拙朴而敦实。<br>酣:厚润四溢。<br>豪:激动向上之貌,有气魄。<br>宏:大而有气度。<br>厚:有沉积的饱和。<br>华:明亮而艳丽。<br>环:长久圆融之境。<br>荒:与"枯简"接近,不修饰。<br>豁:与开朗接近,然比开朗明显。<br>恢:宽广有余。<br>浑:团然一气之象,有朦胧感。<br>简:经过一番整修的减少。<br>娇:美得可爱。<br>警:审美中用此警字,往往指敏锐、颖达。<br></div><div>劲:能察觉的力。<br>精:很到位。<br>隽:精致而具内涵之美。<br>娟:秀而婉丽。<br>崛:高起而突出。<br>俊:人材杰曲之美。<br>峻:山高而陡。在书画中是浓而锋利之用笔。<br>空:有灵气之空白。<br>枯:干而毛,生的萎缩,然亦是力的显露。<br>宽:大度而畅朗。<br>旷:广阔而空灵。<br>辣:是枯毛爽直的老笔触。<br>朗:明亮而豁然。<br>琅:圆而光润。<br>伦:是同类之意,带有文明意念。<br>冷:跟"淡"与"静”接近,与浓烈相对。<br>炼:精到而有功力。<br>淋:与"漓”往往合用,是无拘束的洒落。<br>流:明显的动感。<br>迈:阔而放的超势。<br>莽:宽广而繁密的,朴直奔放的。<br>袤:与"古"字合用,即悠长久远之趣。<br>茂:有生气的繁密。<br>媚:柔美之趣。<br>宓:安而静。<br>明:清晰有亮度。<br>凝:浓重而不流动。<br>懦:毫无火气之柔软。<br>平:一般的,接近于稳。<br>朴:原始状态,形象较准。<br>嫖:与"姚"字合用,即动疾之状,而有气势。<br>奇:不一般。<br>气:生发的,迎面直扑而来的感觉。<br>清:是混的相对。其间透出一股朗气。<br>峭:山之直而险,在书画中是露锋的侧锋用笔,有明显露<br>尖状态。文章中之峭,是意气直逼。<br>遒:婉转有致,内力强劲。<br>虬:与遒类似,但动感较强,弯曲而有力度。<br>意:诚实谨慎。<br>儒:代表文人之书卷气。<br>洒:散落无拘束。<br>赡:富有与丰实。若与"疏”、"逸”组合即成"澹”或"安"之义。</div><div>骚:审美中之骚字,可引伸为风骚至风流感。<br>韶:美丽有光泽。<br>涩:在不爽快的进程中,流露出内力之美。<br>深:不是浮面的。<br>神:精与气合。高端的。<br>生:不成熟,但比成熟有味。<br>肆:任意放纵。<br>松:松是灵活自然,是一切技巧之本要。<br>瘦:与粗笨相对,在审美中的"瘦",是指细长而精练。<br>疏:一种稀少秀朗之美。<br>肃:有立即静穆下来之势。<br>率:与潦草随便有别,爽快而直接。<br>邃:深远而悠久。<br>阅:通达之意。<br>给:与"宕"合用,是安详舒放之趣。<br>天:很自然,一片天箱之"天"。<br>恬:安静而坦然。<br>挺:直而有生气。<br>婉:柔和而曲折。<br>温:是一种暖调与缓和的综合。</div><div>巍:往往与"峨"合用,是高大厚实之趣。<br>洗:与"炼”合用,即是"精炼"之意,凡物之洁出于洗。<br>犀:与"利"字合用,即坚利。<br>熙:光明,和乐。<br>细:指细而不纤。<br>娴:文静而雅致。<br>闲:一种高雅的自由。<br>萧:疏少有致。<br>潇:散朗而润泽。<br>馨:很醇厚的香气。<br>篁:"篁古”是悠远辽阔之意。<br>雄:强大,有力度,有霸气。<br>秀:灵巧的,有生气的,美好的显露。<br>虚:表象空,但并非真空。<br>雅:文气而不俗。<br>妍:鲜美而柔性。<br>严:认真,不马虎。<br>淹:一种浸沉与精深明达之境。<br>野:超脱、不规范。<br>冶:经过一番精致修饰。<br>逸:悠闲的起伏。</div><div>意:精神倾向。<br>莹:透明而幽亮。<br>雍:往往与“容"字合用,有和顺之貌。<br>幽:静而深。<br>腴:肥润而饱和。<br>郁:厚积而有生气。<br>纤:与"迥"字合用,即弯环回绕之趣。<br>遹:与"瑰"字合用,即纤迥美丽之趣。<br>渊:往往与"懿"合用,是深润而悠美之趣。<br>圆:接近于饱满润滑。<br>蕴:与"藉"合用,即内涵丰富。<br>韵:一种余味不尽之趣。<br>恣:放纵的,无拘束的。<br>滋:湿润感。<br>自:出于本性的流露。<br>质:本体的,实在的。<br>纵:放逸无拘之状。<br>拙:接近朴,形不准。<br>庄:端正之貌。<br>卓:与“荤"合用,是突出明显之状。<br></div><div><br></div><br>

    • EXCELLENT

      1. The standard current general word for anything or anyone who naturally meets certain generally accepted high standards of excellence is liáng 良 (ant. liè 劣 "inferior").

      2. Shàn 善 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept"), when the word does not mean moral goodness, but is close in meaning to liáng 良, refers to an acquired specific skill or propensity for certain forms of action.

      3. Jīng 精 (of general application) (ant. cū 粗 "of only rough quality") and ruì 銳 (typically applied to military prowess) (ant. dùn 鈍 "of lesser quality") refer to above-average performance without suggestion individual excellence.

      4. Yōu 優 (ant. liè 劣 "inferior") and cháng 長 (ant. duǎn 短 "of lesser quality") refers to a distinct advantage in excellence compared with some reference group or some point of reference.

      5. Gōng 工 (ant. yú 寙 "fumbling, inept") is to be specialised in something concrete or even professional in an area, typically a craft.

      6. Jiā 佳 (ant. xià 下 "inferior in quality") implies manifestly recognised striking excellence regarding such qualities such as beauty or moral cultivation.

      7. Měi 美 (ant. è 惡 "of bad quality") when it does not have its standard meaning "beauty" indicates striking or admirable high quality of anything concrete or abstract.

      8. Jiā 嘉 (ant. yōng 庸 "mediocre") refers to manifestly recognised striking excellence, typically of an abstract kind.

      9. Zhǐ 旨 (ant. báo 薄 "of slight quality") refers specifically to excellence in the quality of wine, and sometimes to other foodstuffs.

      10. Jùn 駿 (ant. nú 駑 "miserable hag") refers specifically to excellence in horses, and by extension occasionally serves as metaphoric for outstanding personalities.

    • GOOD

      1. The general term for positive appraisal of human capacities of any kind is shàn 善 (ant. è 惡 "bad").

      2. Rén 仁 (ant. cán 殘 "unfeeling") refers to kind-heartedness as an attitude directed towards moral behaviour. See BENEVOLENCE

      3. Lián 廉 (ant. tān 貪 "greedy for bribery gifts") refers to moral probity and impeccability.

      4. Zhí 直 (ant. qǔ 曲 "devious") refers to moral straightforwardness and uprightness.

      5. Zhōng 衷 (ant. xié 邪 "wicked") refers to devoted uprightness of character. See also EARNEST

      6. Qīng 清 (ant. zhuó 濁 "defiled and corrupt") can be used to refer to moral purity.

      7. Shú 淑 is a highly poetic word referring to admirable moral qualities in general, typically in women.

      8. Jūn zǐ 君子 (ant. xiǎo rén 小人 "petty man") refers to high moral qualities and capacities, especially in men.

      <div>9. Zāng 臧 (pí 否 "good-for-nothing") is an archaic neutral unemotional objective term for goodness.</div><div><br></div><div>10. Rén yì 仁義, when it is not simply listing benevolence and righteousness, commonly refers quite generally (by synecdoche) to moral goodness or the moral virtues LIKE benevolence and righteousness and not in fact to just two of the virtues.<br></div><br>

    • COOPERATE

      1. The current general word for cooperation is yǔ 與 (ant. jué 絕 "cut off relations with").

      2. Shàn 善 refers to cooperation on the basis of excellent personal relations. (NB: ant. wù 惡 refers more to antipathy than lack of cooperation.) See INTERACT

      3. Jié 結 refers to close cooperative ties leading to lasting coperation.

      4. Fú còu 輻湊 refers to bureaucratic cooperation with the leadership. See HELP

    • BAD

      [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

      [[COMMON/RARE]]

      [ELEVATED/INFORMAL]

      [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

      [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE]

      1. The most general word for what is inferior and not commendable, morally, aesthetically or otherwise, is è 惡 (ant. měi 美 "commendable"), but this word is also used to refer more specifically to wickedness. See WICKED

      [GENERAL]

      2. Xià 下 (ant. shàng 上 "superior") is a colourless general way of referring to something being inferior to something else (which may or may not be specified) in any sense.

      [GRADED]

      3. Liè 劣 (ant. yōu 優 "of higher quality") refers quite generally to inferior quality, but the word is not very frequent in pre-Buddhist Chinese.

      [HIGH-DEGREE]; [[RARE]]

      4. Nú 駑 and the rarer tái 駘 (all ant. jùn 駿 "superior horse") refer specifically to inferior horses, and in a rather pictoresque metaphorical way these terms are sometimes used to refer to men of inferior quality.

      [ELEVATED], [SUBJ=HUMAN]; [[RARE]]

    • BENEVOLENCE

      [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

      [[CURRENT/RARE]]

      [ELEVATED/FAMILIAR]

      [ETHICAL/FACTUAL]

      [EMOTIONAL/UNEMOTIONAL]

      [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE]

      [PRACTICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL]

      1. Rén 仁 (ant. cán 殘 "cruel" and perhaps ant.* rěn 忍 "be callous, unfeeling") which refers to kind-heartedness and deep human sensibility as a constitutive feature of man as a moral being, is the standard word since Confucius.

      [ETHICAL], [HIGH-DEGREE]

      2. Cí 慈 (ant. rěn 忍 "callous, unfeeling") is primarily the intimate emotional concern of mothers/parents for their children, and by extension such concern of a fatherly ruler for his people. (See LOVE)

      [EMOTIONAL], [PRACTICAL]

      3. Xiào 孝 refers to caring love for one's parents and one's ancestors. SEE LOVE.

      4. Huì 惠 "kind generosity" (ant. sè 嗇 "stinginess") is kind-heartedness in generous action of various kinds and displayed towards inferiors. See GENEROUS

      [PRACTICAL]

      5. Shàn 善 "goodness in action" (ant. è 惡 "wicked") belongs more properly into the group GOOD, but the word does come to refer to altruistic moral concern for others and thus relates to the present group.

      [ETHICAL], [GRADED], [MARGINAL]; [[RARE]]

      6. Mín 旻 refers in a ritual elevated manner to the beneficence and compassion of Heaven and of the sky (in CC).

      [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [HIGH-DEGREE]; [[RARE]]

    • SLANDER

      1. The standard current word for speaking ill of a person is huǐ 毀 (ant. yù 譽 "praise"), and the slander involved can be of all kinds.

      2. Chán 讒 (ant. zàn 贊 "praise justly") refers to popular slander, sometimes by persons without significant political influence.

      3. Bàng 謗 "vilify a person" (ant. chēng 稱 "praise") refers to public serious criticism, sometimes coming close to public abuse; increasingly, the word tended to refer to unjustified such accusations, i.e. slander, but the word is also used for justified serious criticism in public.

      4. Fěi 誹 (ant. yáng 揚 "spread good reports about") refers to critical comments on a person, and these may come from persons of influence or from the common people. See CRITICISE

      5. Zèn 譖 (ant. zhāng 彰 "be full of public praise for") refers specifically to a secret malicious whispering campaign.

      6. Jī 譏 refers to subtle satirical slander.

      7. Wū 誣 (ant. zàn 贊 "praise justly") refers specifically to unjustified slander.

      8. Shàn 訕 (ant. sòng 頌 "sing the praises of") adds an element of ridicule to that of speaking ill of a person.

      9. Wù 惡 (ant. měi 美 "speak well of") can be used to focus on maligning someone to his superiors.

    • WICKED

      1. The most current and general word for wickedness is probably è 惡 (ant. shàn 善 "good"), but it must be noted that in early texts the word is more current in the meaning of physical ugliness.

      2. Xié 邪 (ant. zhèng 正 "straight and in no way wicked") typically involves nuances of sinister evil influences in addition to plain human depravity.

      3. Suì 祟 (ant. xiáng 祥 "of the good innocuous kind") refers to sinister supernatural wicked forces operating in the human world.

      4. Yāo 妖 (ant. jí 吉 "of a generally auspicious nature") typically implies nuances of seductive or beguiling qualities coexisting with wickedness.

      5. Jiān 姦 (ant. liáng 良 "of the good sort, decent") refers to sheer human depravity with no supernatural or sinister overtones.

      6. Chǒu 醜 (ant. měi 美 "of commendable moral quality") often refers to something rather like moral ugliness and depravity in early texts, but from Han times onwards the word comes to refer to physical ugliness].

      7. Qū 曲 (ant. duān 端 "straight and unwarped") refers to warped crookedness and lack of moral straightness.

      8. Wú 污 (ant. jié 潔 "morally pure and spotless") refers to moral defilement or moral impurity.

      9. Liè 劣 (ant. ) refers to moral inferiority as opposed to excellence.

      10. Pì 僻 (ant. ) refers to

      11. Jiāo 姣 refers to wickedness coupled with cunning, scheming and malice.

      12. Xiǎn 險 is occasionally used to refer to the type of wickedness that is a danger to the group or the state.

      13. Wāi 歪 (ant. zhí 直 "morally straight") refers to wickedness under the image of moral warpedness and and deviation from a straight proper norm.

      14. Xiōng 凶 refers to a baneful wickedness that bodes ill for the future.

      15. Chǐ 恥 refers to something that is a public disgrace. See SHAME.

    • DESIRE

      1. The dominant standard word is yù 欲 (ant. fú 弗 "refused to, would not") which refers to any concrete - and typically temporary - intention or desire of any kind, irrespective how strongly motivated it is. 欲戰 "wants to fight".

      2. Hào 好 (ant.* yàn 厭 "be fed up with VPing") refers to a general strong, and strongly motivated, inclination in favour of something. 好戰 "is fond of warfare".

      3. Tān 貪 refers to an exaggerated and inapropriate degree of craving something.

      4. Shì 嗜 (ant. wù 惡 "dislike") refers to a stable and deeply ingrained constant desire for something, often a reprehensible craving.

      5. Gān 甘 derives its special force from the culinary meaning "have a taste for" and refers to any predilection, typically for material things.

      6. Shì yù 嗜慾 / 嗜欲 is the abstract technical term for appetitive urges which need to be moderated and kept under control.

    • DREAM

      1. The current standard word for a dream is mèng 夢.

      2. Xiōng mèng 凶夢 refers to a nightmare.

      ZHOULI 3 占夢:掌其歲時,觀天地之會,辨陰陽之氣。以日月星辰占六夢之吉凶,一曰正夢,二曰噩夢,三曰思夢,四曰寤夢,五曰喜夢,六曰懼夢。季冬,聘王夢,獻吉夢于王,王拜而受之。乃舍萌于四方,以贈惡夢,遂令始難驅疫。

    • ADMIRE

      [ACTIVIY/STATE]

      [AESTHETIC/MORAL]

      [ASCENDING/HORIZONTAL/DESCENDING]

      [EMOTIONAL/RATIONAL]

      [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE]

      [MENTAL/OVERT]

      [OBJ=HU/OBJ=NONHU]

      [OBJECTIVE/SUBJECTIVE]

      [OVERT/COVERT]

      [PRIVATE/PUBLIC]

      1. The standard general word for admiration is mù 慕 (ant. bǐ 鄙 "hold in low esteem"), and this word often connotes emulation.

      [ASCENDING], [EMOTIONAL], [OBJ=HU], [STATE], [SUBJECTIVE]

      2. Wàng 望 refers to an intense distant admiration of some heroic or in any way especially elevated figure.

      [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [HIGH-DEGREE], [OBJ=HU], [RATIONAL], [SUBJECTIVE]

      3. Yǎng 仰 (ant.* yì 易 "have no special respect for") refers to a distant veneration of some heroic or in any way especially elevated figure.

      [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [HIGH-DEGREE], [OBJ=HU], [RATIONAL], [SUBJECTIVE]

      4. Shàng 尚 (ant. qīng 輕 "have no special respect for") refers to giving high practical priority to something or someone out of a sense of admiration or appreciation.

      [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [OBJ=HU], [OVERT] [PUBLIC]

      5. Shàng 上 (ant. xià 下 "despise, have no special respect for") refer to giving high practical priority to something out of a sense of admiration or appreciation.

      [ASCENDING], [OBJ=NON-HU], [OBJECTIVE], [OVERT], [PUBLIC]

      6. Yòu 右 (ant. qīng 輕 "have no special respect for") refer to giving high practical priority to something or someone out of a sense of admiration or appreciation.

      [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [OVERT], [PUBLIC]

      7. Měi 美 (ant. è 惡 "find despicable an dislikable") refers to an intense expressly subjective aesthetic or moral appreciation for something as admirable.

      [COVERT], [STATE], [SUBJECTIVE]

      8. Duō 多 (ant. shǎo 少 "feel no respect for") refers to an objective assessment of something as worthy of admiration.

      [COVERT], [OBJECTIVE], [RATIONAL], [STATE]

      9. Xiàn 羨 refers to rather personal and private admiration for something, and this admiration is sometimes mixed with envy.

      [COVERT], [EMOTIONAL], [STATE], [SUBJECTIVE]

    • NIGHTMARE

      噩夢惡夢

    • VIRTUE

      1. The current general term for salient features and principles of charismatic moral potency, integrity and generosity is dé 德, when used as a term of ethical evalutation.

      2. Other general terms for subjectively construed general moral commendation include měi 美 "point of moral distinction" (ant. è 惡 "point of moral decrepitude"), and occasionally gāo 高 "elevated points, elevated spirit" (ant. jiàn 賤 "point of vulgar decrepitude"). NB that shàn 善 "excellent" is not used as a general term of positive moral appreciation in pre-Buddhist texts.

      3. The most current dé 德 "virtues" recognised in pre-Buddhist China are rén 仁 "kind-heartedness", yì 義 "rectitude", lǐ 禮 "propriety", zhì 智 "wisdom", and xìn 信 "good faith".

      4. Further important virtues are xiào 孝 "filial piety", zhōng 忠 "loyal diligence", tì 悌 / 弟 "brotherly affection", lián 廉 "impeccable probity", jié 節 "moderation", and perhaps yǒng 勇 "the courage of one's moral convictions". ( 說苑 : 百行 (xìng) 孝為先 )

      5. Zhōng yōng 中庸 "the mean in action" may be mentioned as a a central Confucian virtue, jiān ài 兼愛 "unIversal love" as a Mohist virtue, wú wéi 無為 "unobtrusive action" as a non-moralistic Taoist virtue.

    • HATE

      1. The dominant general word referring to intense dislike is wù 惡 (ant. ài 愛 "love") which can relate to all kinds of concrete or abstract objects.

      2. Yuàn 怨 is resentment due to identified concrete causes, and the emotion is typically directed towards superiors or equals.

      3. Zēng 憎 (ant. ài 愛 "love") is a rather mild and lingering form of resentment directed at a person.

      4. Jí 疾 / 嫉 can refer to intense personally focussed resentment.

      5. Jì 忌, jí 嫉, and dù 妒 refer to intense personal resentment typically occasioned by envy for some success in love (jealousy) or in politics.

      6. Hèn 恨 "nourish feelings of hatred" is relatively rare in this meaning in pre-Qin times, and it stresses the emotional aspect of hatred.

      7. Yàn 厭 "come to be fed up with" (ant. hào 好 "be fond of") is a resentment due to overexposure to some condition or to a person's behaviour.

      8. Fán 煩 "be irritated at, be annoyed with" refers to a dissatisfaction due to overexposure to some condition or to a person's behaviour.

      9. Kǔ 苦 "resent bitterly", huàn 患 "REGARD AS DISASTROUS> be upset by", and bìng 病 "feel profoundly offended" focus on resentment of some prevailing condition as insufferable and may be directed at responsible officials but not primarily in a personal way.

      10. Wàng 望 is archaising word typically referrring to resentment against superiors.

      Word relations
    • Ant: (HATE)喜/DELIGHT Xǐ 喜 (ant. yōu 憂 "worry") is openly manifested delight, manifested in an individual, visible to all, but not normally of any profound significance.
    • Ant: (INCOMPETENT)善/EXCELLENT Shàn 善 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept"), when the word does not mean moral goodness, but is close in meaning to liáng 良, refers to an acquired specific skill or propensity for certain forms of action.
    • Ant: (HATE)善/FRIEND
    • Ant: (BAD)善/GOOD The general term for positive appraisal of any kind in Chinese is shàn 善 (ant. è 惡 "bad").
    • Ant: (HATE)好/DESIRE Hào 好 (ant.* yàn 厭 "be fed up with VPing") refers to a general strong, and strongly motivated, inclination in favour of something. 好戰 "is fond of warfare". xxx
    • Ant: (HATE)寵/LOVE Chǒng 寵 refers to enjoying the affections of a superior.
    • Ant: (BAD)德/GOOD
    • Ant: (HATE)悅 / 說/DELIGHT The general current word referring to the purely psychological notion of a transitory or temporary feeling of pleasure or delight is yuè 悅 (ant. yùn 慍 "feel intensely dissatisfied with, feel offended by").
    • Ant: (UGLY)姣 / 佼/SEXY Jiǎo 姣 (also applied to men) and jiāo 嬌 are less dramatic than yàn 艷 and refers to personal charm as well beauty as such.
    • Ant: (UGLY)美 / 媄 / 媺/BEAUTIFUL The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty". [GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]]
    • Ant: (WICKED)德/VIRTUE The current general term for salient features and principles of charismatic moral integrity and generosity is dé 德, when used as a term of ethical evalutation; but this word has many other philosophically important meanings.
    • Ant: (WICKED)罪/CRIME The current general word for a serious legal transgression is zuì 罪 (ant. gōng 功 "merit"), and the current general word for a minor legal transgression is guò 過 (ant. xiào 效 "positive contribution").
    • Ant: (WICKED)聖/WISE Shèng 聖 (ant. yōng 庸 "mediocre") refers to supreme sagehood and perfection of character.
    • Ant: (BAD)賢/EXCELLENT
    • Ant: (HATE)欲 / 慾/DESIRE The dominant standard word is yù 欲 (ant. fú 弗 "refused to, would not") which refers to any concrete - and typically temporary - intention or desire of any kind, irrespective how strongly motivated it is. 欲戰 "wants to fight".
    • Ant: (HATE)愛/LOVE The clearly dominant word referring to love is ài 愛 (ant. hèn 恨 "dislike"; rarely zēng 憎 "dislike"; and wù 惡 "hate"), and this word refers both to the feelings of love and to the expression of love in loving care for another person as well as in sexual relations. (Occasionally, the word may refer to the emotional preference that a small child feels for its parents. For this meaning see PREFER.)
    • Ant: (BAD)懿/GOOD
    • Ant: (BAD)美/EXCELLENT Měi 美 (ant. è 惡 "of bad quality") when it does not have its standard meaning "beauty" indicates striking or admirable high quality of anything concrete or abstract.
    • Ant: (BAD)良/EXCELLENT The standard current general word for anything or anyone who naturally meets certain generally accepted high standards of excellence is liáng 良 (ant. liè 劣 "inferior").
    • Ant: (BAD)美/GOOD
    • Epithet: (BAD)疾/ILLNESS Jí 疾 is the oldest general word for illness and sometimes continues to be used in this generalised way, but the word often came to refer more specifically to an acute short-term medical condition, and especially a change in medical condition, that can be very serious but is not normally construed as chronic.
    • Contrast: (HATE)怨/HATE Yuàn 怨 is resentment due to identified concrete causes, and the emotion is typically directed towards superiors or equals.
    • Contrast: (WICKED)過/CRIME The current general word for a serious legal transgression is zuì 罪 (ant. gōng 功 "merit"), and the current general word for a minor legal transgression is guò 過 (ant. xiào 效 "positive contribution").
    • Contrast: (WICKED)罪/CRIME The current general word for a serious legal transgression is zuì 罪 (ant. gōng 功 "merit"), and the current general word for a minor legal transgression is guò 過 (ant. xiào 效 "positive contribution").
    • Contrast: (WICKED)過/CRIME The current general word for a serious legal transgression is zuì 罪 (ant. gōng 功 "merit"), and the current general word for a minor legal transgression is guò 過 (ant. xiào 效 "positive contribution").
    • Assoc: (WICKED)凶/WICKED Xiōng 凶 refers to a baneful wickedness that bodes ill for the future.
    • Assoc: (DISASTER)凶/INAUSPICIOUS The current general word for what is of no good omen is xiōng 凶 (ant. jí 吉).
    • Assoc: (HATE)嫉 / 嫉 / 疾/HATE Jì 忌, jí 嫉, and dù 妒 refer to intense personal resentment typically occasioned by envy for some success in love (jealousy) or in politics.
    • Assoc: (BAD)凶/WICKED Xiōng 凶 refers to a baneful wickedness that bodes ill for the future.
    • Assoc: (WICKED)邪/WICKED Xié 邪 (ant. zhèng 正 "straight and in no way wicked") typically involves nuances of sinister evil influences in addition to plain human depravity.
    • Assoc: (HATE)疾/HATE Jí 疾 feel intense personally focussed resentment.
    • Assoc: (HATE)慍/ANGUISH Yùn 慍 (ant. yú 愉 "feel generally pleased") is lingering or lasting somewhat milder and more diffuse dissatisfaction or anguish. See ANGER. [OVERT], [LASTING]
    • Assoc: (UGLY)醜/UGLY Chǒu 醜 (ant. hǎo 好 "handsome") refers specifically to physical unsightliness and does not necessarily connote a general negative judgment on what is unsightly.
    • Synon: (UGLY)醜/UGLY Chǒu 醜 (ant. hǎo 好 "handsome") refers specifically to physical unsightliness and does not necessarily connote a general negative judgment on what is unsightly.