Definitions

huǐ (verb) to destroy; to damage; to ruin
huǐ (verb) to defame; to slander

Etymology

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

About

The character "毁", meaning to destroy or ruin, originates from the traditional form "毀", which combines the radical "殳", representing a hand wielding a tool or weapon, with the component "臼", often associated with a mortar or container, together evoking the act of striking or breaking something apart. Initially conveying physical demolition, the character's meaning gradually expanded to encompass figurative forms of damage, such as slander or the deterioration of abstract qualities, as seen in classical and modern compounds. The simplified form "毁" replaced "臼" with the elements "工" and "白", a structural adjustment for writing convenience that did not shift the fundamental sense of causing harm or loss, preserving its enduring association with destruction across both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 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 Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

战争会掉很多家庭。

Zhànzhēng huì huǐdiào hěnduō jiātíng.

War can destroy many families.

大火灭了整片森林。

Dàhuǒ huǐmiè le zhěng piàn sēnlín.

The big fire destroyed the entire forest.

别让雨水坏了你的画。

Bié ràng yǔshuǐ huǐhuài le nǐ de huà.

Don't let the rain ruin your painting.

谣言了他的名誉。

Yáoyán huǐle tā de míngyù.

Rumors ruined his reputation.

这座古迹在战乱中被了。

Zhè zuò gǔjì zài zhànluàn zhōng bèi huǐ le.

This historic site was destroyed during the war.

过度开发会坏自然环境。

Guòdù kāifā huì huǐhuài zìrán huánjìng.

Overdevelopment can damage the natural environment.

他一时冲动,掉了自己的前途。

Tā yīshí chōngdòng, huǐdiàole zìjǐ de qiántú.

In a moment of impulse, he ruined his own future.

他的鲁莽行为掉了整个团队多年的努力。

Tā de lǔmǎng xíngwéi huǐdiàole zhěnggè tuánduì duōnián de nǔlì.

His reckless actions destroyed many years of effort by the entire team.