Definitions

làn (adjective) excessive; indiscriminate
làn (verb) to overflow

Etymology

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

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "滥", in its traditional form "濫", combines the water radical with the component "監", which historically provided phonetic guidance and hinted at concepts of monitoring or containment, originally denoting the overflowing of water or a flood. This literal meaning gradually extended metaphorically to describe actions or things that are excessive, indiscriminate, or beyond proper limits, reflecting a semantic shift from physical inundation to abstract surplus. The simplified form "滥" retains the water radical while incorporating "监" as a streamlined phonetic element, maintaining the character's core association with liquid excess. Over time, its application expanded from describing natural phenomena to encompassing figurative uses such as in "滥用" for abuse or "泛滥" for proliferation, illustrating how its fundamental concept of overflow was adapted to convey broader notions of undue extent.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

不要用互联网资源。

Bù yào lànyòng hùliánwǎng zīyuán.

Do not abuse internet resources.

河水泛造成了灾害。

Héshuǐ fànlàn zàochéngle zāihài.

The river flooding caused a disaster.

伐森林破坏环境。

Lànfá sēnlín pòhuài huánjìng.

Deforestation damages the environment.

公司严禁用公司资金。

Gōngsī yánjìn lànyòng gōngsī zījīn.

The company strictly prohibits the misuse of company funds.

由于捕,鱼类资源减少了。

Yóuyú lànbǔ, yǔlèi zīyuán jiǎnshǎole.

Due to overfishing, fish resources have decreased.

这种收费的现象必须制止。

Zhè zhǒng làn shōufèi de xiànxiàng bìxū zhìzhǐ.

This phenomenon of excessive charging must be stopped.

如果继续垦土地,生态环境将恶化。

Rúguǒ jìxù làn kěn tǔdì, shēngtài huánjìng jiāng èhuà.

If we continue to reclaim land excessively, the ecological environment will deteriorate.

尽管法律禁止伐,但一些地区仍然存在。

Jǐnguǎn fǎlǜ jìnzhǐ làn kǎn làn fá, dàn yīxiē dìqū réngrán cúnzài.

Although laws prohibit excessive logging, it still exists in some areas.