Taxonomy of meanings for 毀:　　

  • 毀 huǐ (OC: qhʷralʔ MC: hʷɯiɛ) 許委切 上 廣韻：【壞也破也缺也虧也許委切十 】
    • CRITICISE
      • vtoNsometimes: vituperate officially, criticise severely
      • nabactbeing criticised> criticism/slander
      • nabactstrong criticism
      • vt[oN]criticise people
    • DESTROY
      • vtoNdestroy, ruin; smash; deliberately ruin (e.g. new trousers so they look old); sometimes metaphorical: maltreat (oneself)
      • vtoNfigurativedestroy > inactivate, destroy the effectiveness of
      • vtoNmiddle voicecollapse, be destroyed
      • vtoNreflexive.自destroy (oneself)
      • nabactdeliberate maltreatment (typically during the period of ritual mourning)LZ
      • vtoNpassivebe ruined; be destroyedLZ
    • JADE DEFECT
      • nflaw (in pearls and jade etc)
    • SLANDER
      • vtoNvilify, speak ill of without good reason; also privately: vilify, calumniate
      • nabactvilification; direct criticism, open public criticism to the face; vituperation
      • vadNslandering, vilifying
      • v[adN]pluralone who vilifies others> calumniator
      • vtoNpassivebe criticised and slandered
      • vt+prep+Nslander (others)
      • nabactbad reputation
    • TATTERED
      • vtoNcausativecause to look tattered
  • 毀 huì (OC: qhʷrals MC: hʷɯiɛ) 況偽切 去 廣韻：【男八歳女七歳而毀齒況僞切一 】
  • huìOFFEND
    • vtoNread huǐ: openly offend against (obligations undertaken etc.) CH

Additional information about 毀

說文解字:

    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.

  • DESTROY

    1. The current general word for destruction of any kind is huǐ 毀, and what is destroyed may anything from a toy or a house to a state.

    2. Miè 滅 refers to the physical destruction of cities or states, and the word implies the use of external military force, and typically military resistance.

    3. Pò 破 is always violent destruction of concrete objects of any kind.

    4. Cán 殘 focusses on the reckless attitude shown by the destroyer.

    5. Yāng 殃 focusses on the disaster constituted by destruction, and this word is used mostly nominally.

    6. Suì 碎 focusses on complete smashing into small pieces of what is destroyed.

    7. Huài 壞 and huī 墮 / 隳 are "to be destroyed, to collapse" but the words are also used transitively "cause to be destroyed, cause to collapse".

    8. Wáng 亡 (ant. fù 復 "reestablish") refers to the political/social ruin of a state and does not focus on any form of physical annihilation or damage.

    9. Bài 敗 and zéi 賊 are currently used for the destruction of abstract things such as dé 德 "virtue".

  • 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.

    Word relations
  • Ant: (DESTROY)利/PROFIT Lì 利 (1. ant. yì 義 "considerations of rectitude"(!!); 2. ant. hài 害 "damage and loss suffered") refers to material profit.
  • Ant: (DESTROY)為/BUILD
  • Ant: (CRITICISE)譽/PRAISE 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.
  • Ant: (DESTROY)輔/HELP Zuǒ 佐, yòu 佑 (deriving their meaning from the position of aides near the ruler), and also fǔ 輔 refer to official assistance in a formal context.
  • Assoc: (DESTROY)壞/COLLAPSE
  • Assoc: (DESTROY)傷/DAMAGE Shāng 傷 "impair" and sǔn 損 "reduce and impair" (all ant. yì 益 "strengthen") are weaker than hài 害 and definitely suggest the survival of what is impaired.
  • Assoc: (SLANDER)訾/CRITICISE
  • Assoc: (SLANDER)誹/SLANDER 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
  • Assoc: (DESTROY)敗/DESTROY Bài 敗 and zéi 賊 are currently used for the destruction of abstract things such as dé 德 "virtue".
  • Assoc: (SLANDER)謗/SLANDER 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.
  • Synon: (DESTROY)敗/DESTROY Bài 敗 and zéi 賊 are currently used for the destruction of abstract things such as dé 德 "virtue".