Taxonomy of meanings for 放:  

  • 放 fàng (OC: paŋs MC: pʷiɐŋ) 甫妄切 去 廣韻:【逐也去也甫妄切四 】
    • BANISH
      • nabact, passivebeing exiled
      • vadNbanished
      • vtoNsend away, banish, expel, oust
      • vtoNpassivebe banished from (an office)
      • vttoN1.+prep+N2banish N1 to the place N2
      • nab(post-N)act, activethe act of banishing (of N e.g. one's sovereign)CH
      • result>FLEE
        • generalised>DISCARD
          • vtoNdiscard; reject; dismiss; abandon
          • from office>DISMISS
            • inadvertent>LOSE
              • concrete>DROP
                • vtoNto drop; to release from one's hand
              • set free>RELEASE
                • vt(oN)figurativeto give up, to let go of (an idea)
                • vtoNset free, give free rein to; take off
                • vtoNfigurativerelease (light) > emit
                • vtoNpassivebe given free rein
                • vttoN.+V[0]send N off to V
                • vttoN1. N2set N1 free in the place N2CH
                • from guilt/responsibility>FORGIVE
                  • vtoNleave aside and forgive
                • set free to act>PERMIT
                  • vttoN.+V[0]allow N to V
                  • feature>UNRESTRAINED
                    • nabpsychlack of restraint, wantonness
                    • vadNunrestrained, not properly controlled
                    • vadVin an unrestrained way
                    • viactgive free rein to one's desires
                    • vtoNgive free rein to; release freely; be unrestrained with respect to, fail to show proper control with respect to
                    • nabactlicence; lack of restraint, wantonnessCH
                    • viexpress oneself quite freelyCH
              • generalised>ISSUE
                • vtoNemit (light etc)
                • vtoNput forth (words in poetry)CH
                • object flowers>BLOSSOM
                  • viprocessblossom
                • so as to make visible>SHOW
                  • in orderly fashion>ARRANGE
                      • so as to enlarge>EXPAND
                        • so as to fix in a certain place>PUT
                          • so as to bring something about>CAUSE TO
                            • object means of transport>DRIVE
                    • 放 fǎng (OC: paŋʔ MC: pʷiɐŋ) 分网切 上 廣韻:【同倣 】
                      • CONFORM
                        • vt+prep+Nabandon oneself to conformity with
                        • so as to depend on>RELY ON
                          • so as to act like>IMITATE
                            • as aim>ARRIVE
                              • vt+prep+NN=placearrive? 趙注: 放,至也。
                        • 放 fang1《集韻》分房切,平陽非。陽部。
                        • fàngFLOW
                          • vt prep Nflow briskly towards NCH

                        Additional information about 放

                        說文解字:

                          Criteria
                        • BANISH

                          [BASIC/MARGINAL]

                          [CURRENT/RARE]

                          [DRAMATIC/UNDRAMATIC]

                          [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

                          [LASTING/TEMPORARY]

                          1. The main general word is fàng 放 (ant. huán 還 "reinstate as a citizen and inhabitant of a country"), which refers to any official act of removing a person from his permanent abode for a certain time, or in perpetuity.

                          [LASTING], [OFFICIAL]

                          2. Chū 出 refers abstractly to the act of causing someone to leave a territory.

                          [GENERAL], [MARGINAL]

                          3. Zhú 逐 refers informally and more dramatically to the action of driving away someone not necessarily on the basis of an official or legal decision.

                          [DRAMATIC]

                          4. Qū 軀 is a dramatic term for the removal of a person or animal from one's presence.

                          [DRAMATIC+], [MARGINAL]; [[RARE]]

                          5. Chù 黜, biǎn 貶 and zhé 謫 "banish from office (and remove to lower office)" (ant. zhuó 擢 "appoint to a higher position") are perhaps marginal in this group, but these common bureaucratic term describing the demotion of a person from his position and often his banishment from the court. See DEMOTE.

                          [OFFICIAL]

                        • UNRESTRAINED

                          1. The current general word for lack of restraint and indulgence is zī 恣 (ant. jié 節 "exercise moderation").

                          2. Zòng 縱 (ant. yuē 約 "be limited by constraints") refers pejoratively to lack of restraint.

                          3. Sì 肆 and dàng 蕩 (ant. jū 拘 "be properly restrained") refer often positively to lack of inhibitions and a freedom of behaviour.

                          4. Fàng 放 (ant. liǎn 斂 "be restrained") refers to a deliberate act of removing social or other inhibitions.

                          5. Yín 淫 can come to refer to extravagance as a symptom of general indulgence.

                        • 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>

                        • RESTRAIN

                          1. The current general word for restraining something or someone is yuē 約 (ant. zòng 縱 "give free rein to").

                          2. Jié 節 (ant. sì 肆 "be unrestrained") always refers to abstract restraint and moderation, typically the restraint is directed towards oneself.

                          3. Jū 拘 (ant. dàng 蕩 "be completely free") and shù 束 refer to being confined or constrained by external circumstances.

                          4. Lè 勒 and kòng 控 (all ant. fàng 放 "set free") refer to a vigorous act of restraining someone or something by force.

                          5. Jī 羈 (ant. tuō 脫 "let loose") and yǐn 引 refer specifically to the reining in of horses by the use of a bridle, but the word also has generalised uses where it refers to restraint of other creatures.

                        • RELEASE

                          1. The most current general word for setting an animal or a person free is shì 釋 (ant. shōu 收 "hold prisoner").

                          2. Zòng 縱 (ant. yuē 約 "restrain") is to give free reins to someone or something that is under constraint with the expectation that this feedom will be used freely and enthusiastically.

                          3. Sì 肆 (ant. jié 節 "restrain, moderate") refers to giving free rein to psychological tendencies and the like, thus going beyond what are natural societal expectations.

                          4. Chū 出 (ant. liú 留 "keep in retention") is a colourless term referring to letting someone out of an enclosure, typically prison.

                          5. Miǎn 免 (ant. jiū 究 "hold definitely responsible for crimes") refers specifically to an act of mercy involving a decision to set someone free who is available for criminal prosecution for a crime assumed committed.

                          6. Fàng 放 (ant. liǎn 斂 "exert a moderating influence on") refers to a removal of constraints on animals or persons, causing these to follow their natural instincts.

                          Word relations
                        • Object: (RELEASE)馬/HORSE The dominant word for a horse is mǎ 馬.
                        • Assoc: (UNRESTRAINED)淫/LEWD The current general word for lewdness and lasciviousness in attitude and in action is yín 淫 (ant. jié 節 "decently restrained").