Definitions
(adjective)
towering
(adjective)
bald
Etymology
Depicts a person with the head emphasized, conveying the meaning "stand tall".
About
The character 兀 originated from an early pictorial concept representing either a bald human head or a lone, towering landform, which established its fundamental associations with bareness and elevated isolation. Its minimalistic structure, consisting of a single horizontal stroke above a person-like form, has remained consistent while its semantic range expanded from the literal sense of having no hair to metaphorical uses indicating something standing alone or abruptly cut off. Over centuries, it developed additional grammatical roles in classical literature, often functioning as an adverb to convey persistence or sudden change, evident in historical compounds such as 兀自 for "still" and 兀突 for "abrupt". Though less frequently employed independently in contemporary usage, it endures in select lexical items and as a structural element in other characters, reflecting its enduring conceptual ties to prominence and bare simplicity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他兀自站在那里。
山峰兀立云端。
他兀自不语，思考着。
事情发生得兀突。
他性格兀傲，不易接近。
兀鹰在天空中盘旋。
尽管环境恶劣，他兀自坚持工作。
那座兀立的古塔，见证了历史的变迁。