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The character 怏 is a phono-semantic compound built from two components that together convey a specific emotional state. The left side is the vertical heart radical 忄, which classifies the character under psychological conditions and emotions. The right side is 央 (yāng, meaning 'center'), functioning here as the phonetic component and giving the pronunciation yàng. Since ancient usage, 怏 has denoted a negative, lingering dissatisfaction, feelings of discontent, unhappiness, or sullenness, often with a resentful undertone. It is most commonly seen in the reduplicated form 怏怏 (yàngyàng), which describes a prolonged state of being disgruntled or depressed.
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