Taxonomy of meanings for 約:　　

Additional information about 約

說文解字: 【約】，纏束也。从糸、勺聲。 【於略切】

Criteria
• FRUGAL
  

  1. The current general word for the virtue of parsimony is jiǎn 儉 (ant. shē 奢 "extravagant in the use of resources").

  2. Jié 節 (ant. chǐ 侈 "lavish use of resources") refers to the virtue of moderation in the use of things as it applies to specified areas and does not function an abstract philosophical concept of parsimony.

  3. The negative quality of stinginess is lìn 吝 (ant. POST-BUDDHIST kāng kǎi 慷慨 "generous (with friends)", and in pre-Buddhist times the less exact huì 惠 "generous (to inferiors)").

  4. The neutral terms for thrift are shěng 省 (ant. fèi 費 "spend freely"), jiǎn 簡, and yuē 約.

  5. Xí 惜 (ant. tài 泰 / 汰 "use up resources thoughtlessly") refers to the reluctance to let go of something or to use it up.

• AGREE TO
  

  [ASCENDING/HORIZONTAL/DESCENDING]

  [EXPLICIT/IMPLICIT]

  [FORMAL/INFORMAL]

  [MENTAL/PRACTICAL]

  [REACTIVE/SPONTANEOUS]

  1. Nuò 諾 (ant. yǐ 已 "be unwilling") expresses a general agreement to do what is asked of one, and this is the most common word which can be used both by superiors and by inferiors when expressing agreement.

  [EXPLICIT], [FORMAL], [REACTIVE]

  2. Wéi 唯 (ant. fǒu 否 "refuse") expresses an unquestioning agreement directed at superiors to do what is asked of one.concerning a major undertaking by means of a mutual promise.

  [ASCENDING], [EXPLICIT], [FORMAL], [REACTIVE]

  3. Qī 期 refers to the entering into a typically non-hierarchical agreement concerning any form of common action by means of a mutual promise.

  [EXPLICIT], [HORIZONTAL], [INFORMAL], [SPONTANEOUS]

  4. Yuē 約 refers to the entering into a voluntary binding agreement of any kind between equals.

  [EXPLICIT], [FORMAL], [HORIZONTAL], [SPONTANEOUS]

  5. Kěn 肯 (ant. jù (ér bù shòu) 拒（而不受 ) "refuse to accede to a request") refers to a willingness to do what one might refuse to do.

  [IMPLICIT], [MENTAL]

  6. Cóng 從 "do as one is told" (ant. cí 辭 "refuse") can refer to an agreement by a superior to do as is being suggested by an inferior rather than the obeying itself. See OBEY

  [IMPLICIT], [PRACTICAL], [REACTIVE]

• POOR
  

  1. The current general word for poverty is pín 貧 (ant. fù 富 "rich"), but the term does not in general refer to transitory poverty.

  2. Qióng 窮 (ant. fù 富 "rich") refers to an extreme state of destitution, which may, however, be transitory, and the word may also refer not so much to poverty as such as marked lack of expected success, professional failure (ant. dá 達 ); and the word may also refer to persons without regular means of support such as widows and orphans.

  3. Fá 乏 (ant. yù 裕 "abundantly supplied") refers to a shortage in a certain commodity or in a certain specified group of commodities.

  4. Kùn 困 (ant.* kuān 寬 "in comfortable economic circumstances") refers to poverty as constituting serious hardship.

  5. Yuē 約 (ant. chuò 綽 "be abundantly supplied") refers to mild poverty or straightened circumstances.

  6. Jué 絕 refers to temporary poverty viewed as the result of a sudden change of circumstances.

  7. Jié 竭 refers a state of extremely low supply that has come about through a gradual change in circumstances.

  8. Jiǒng 窘 (ant. jǐ 給 "be sufficiently supplied") is a rare word referring to a general state of run-down destitution.

• EXTRAVAGANT
  

  1. Sh1ē 奢 (ant. jiǎn 儉 "parsimonious") is excessive conspicuous consumption or use of money for one's private purposes, with or without demonstrative large scale extravagance, and the word is not necessarily pejorative.

  2. Chǐ 侈 (ant. jié 節 "moderate in the use of resources") always refers to manifestly reprehensible extravagance with no connotation of laudable generosity.

  3. Mǐ 靡 (ant. jiǎn 簡 "unextravagant") is pointless and wasteful luxuriousness, and the term is always strongly pejorative.

  4. Huá 華 is purely demonstrative conspicuous and aesthetically elaborate consumption.

  5. Tài 泰 (ant. yuē 約 "restrained in the use of resources") is grandiose and demonstrative extravagance.

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

• BROAD
  

  1. The standard general word is guǎng 廣 (ant. xiá 狹 "narrow") referring to anything of get spatial extension, also in various metaphorical senses.

  2. Bó 博 (ant. yuē 約 "confined") is primarily metaphorical in application, and its concrete senses applied to physical objects are derived senses of the word only.

  3. Kuàng 曠 adds to the feature of broadness and wide space that of emptiness.

  4. Kuò 闊 (ant. xiá 狹 "narrow") adds to the concept of broadness of spatial extent that of remote distance, and the word was late to enter the pre-Buddhist language.

  5. Kuān 寬 (ant. zhǎi 窄 "narrow") is recorded as meaning "broad" in SHUOWEN and is so used in HOUHANSHU, but the word was predominantly used in metaphorical senses like "broad-minded, forgiving, not strict", and related to huì 惠 "generous".

• 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.

• 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.

• CONTRACT
  

  1. The current general word for a contract of any kind is yuē 約.

  2. Méng 盟 refers to a momentous formal (typically written) contract or oath of allegiance betwen feudal lords confirmed by ritual blood sacrifice, although such oaths could occasionally be taken by humble individuals (bī rén 卑人 "persons of low status") in which case the day of the ritual was not recorded.

  3. Shì 誓 is sometimes used in ancient texts to refer to a sworn covenant between individuals, but the word also refers to a personal oath. See OATH.

  4. Quàn 券 and the somewhat more archaic qì 契 refers to the physical object which constitutes the written version of a contract or an agreement. See TALLY.

• 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
• Ant: (RESTRAIN)博/BROAD Bó 博 (ant. yuē 約 "confined") is primarily metaphorical in application, and its concrete senses applied to physical objects are derived senses of the word only.
• Ant: (RESTRAIN)張/LONG Zhāng 張 (ant. suō 縮"shortened") refers to something that is longer than expected or longer than it was before. 1 Attribution
• Ant: (POOR)泰/RICH1 Attribution
• Ant: (SMALL)博/BROAD Bó 博 (ant. yuē 約 "confined") is primarily metaphorical in application, and its concrete senses applied to physical objects are derived senses of the word only. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (RESTRAIN)束/RESTRAIN Jū 拘 (ant. dàng 蕩 "be completely free") and shù 束 refer to being confined or constrained by external circumstances. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (CONTRACT)契/CONTRACT Quàn 券 and the somewhat more archaic qì 契 refers to the physical object which constitutes the written version of a contract or an agreement. See TALLY. 2 Attributions
• Oppos: (POOR)樂/DELIGHT The equally current lè 樂 (ant. āi 哀 "grief") adds to yuè 悅 the dimensions of practical indulgence, psychological and often philosophical depth, and - very often - a dimension of joy that can be shared and appreciated by others, and that is typically lasting if not permanent. See ENJOY
• Oppos: (RESTRAIN)張/STRETCH OUT1 Attribution