Definitions

(verb) to fear; to dread

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The traditional character "懼" is etymologically constructed from the heart radical, denoting emotion, paired with "瞿", a component that historically provided phonetic clues while also carrying connotations of a startled or watchful state, together encapsulating the idea of fear. Over time, the semantic core of dread or apprehension remained constant, even as the character's form was later altered to the simplified "惧", which retains the heart radical but substitutes "瞿" with "具", a component chosen primarily for its phonetic resemblance in modern pronunciation, thereby streamlining the character's structure without diverting from its original meaning of emotional fear.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他感到恐

Tā gǎndào kǒngjù.

He feels afraid.

我非常恐黑暗。

Wǒ fēicháng kǒngjù hēi'àn.

I am very afraid of darkness.

怕独自一人。

Tā jùpà dúzì yī rén.

She fears being alone.

我们不畏困难。

Wǒmen bù wèijù kùnnán.

We do not fear difficulties.

他曾经恐高处。

Tā céngjīng kǒngjù gāochù.

He used to fear heights.

孩子们恐听到怪声。

Háizimen kǒngjù tīng dào guài shēng.

The children fear hearing strange sounds.

她的恐感越来越强。

Tā de kǒngjùgǎn yuè lái yuè qiáng.

Her feeling of fear is growing stronger.

尽管恐失败,他仍勇敢尝试。

Jǐnguǎn kǒngjù shībài, tā réng yǒnggǎn chángshì.

Despite fearing failure, he still bravely tried.