Definitions
(adjective)
lewd; obscene; lascivious
(adjective)
excessive; unrestrained
Etymology
About
The character "淫" originates from a semantic-phonetic construction where the water radical denotes its early association with liquid, suggesting meanings like soaking or overflowing, while the right-hand component reinforces notions of excess both in sound and sense. Initially describing physical saturation, such as inundating waters, its application gradually extended to abstract concepts of overstepping boundaries, encompassing excessive behavior or deviation from norms in natural and human affairs. This semantic broadening eventually specialized in the realm of morality, where the idea of overflow was metaphorically applied to carnal indulgence, leading to its predominant modern sense denoting lewdness or obscenity, a shift that illustrates how the character's inherent linkage between fluid excess and ethical transgression was culturally reinforced over centuries.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这部电影含有淫秽内容。
网络上传播淫秽信息是违法的。
他写了一本书批判社会的淫靡之风。
过度的享乐容易使人淫逸放荡。
古代的暴君常以淫威压迫百姓。
连绵的淫雨使庄稼都烂在了地里。
这些淫词艳曲对青少年影响很坏。
他意志薄弱，沉湎于淫乐不能自拔。