About
The character 棘, constructed from a duplicated 朿 component which itself signifies a thorn, originally depicted a dense growth of prickly vegetation such as brambles, with its repetitive form visually conveying abundance and entanglement. Its early usage centered on these tangible, physical thickets that presented natural barriers, but over time the term acquired a metaphorical layer, extending to describe any complicated or troublesome situation analogous to the difficulty of passing through thorns, as evidenced in its role within the compound 棘手. This conceptual expansion from the concrete to the abstract represents the primary shift in its application, while the graphical form itself has persisted unchanged, consistently reflecting its thorn-based etymology.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这片土地长满了荆棘。
这个问题很棘手。
小心那些棘刺。
荆棘丛生的小路很难走。
处理棘手事务需要耐心。
棘皮动物是海洋生物。
他们正在清理庭院里的荆棘。
面对棘手的挑战，他从不退缩。