About
The character 猾, with its traditional form identical to its modern usage, is constructed from the semantic component 犭, indicating its association with animal qualities, and the phonetic component 骨, which historically provided a clue to its sound. Its earliest meanings conveyed a sense of disorder, chaos, or rebelliousness, a conceptual extension likely derived from the perceived unruly or intractable nature of certain animals. Over time, this core notion of disruptive defiance refined into a more specific sense of cunning and crafty deception, describing a cleverness used for deceitful or evasive purposes. This semantic shift from general disorder to calculated guile represents the primary evolution of the character, while a secondary, less persistent meaning relating to literal slipperiness also occasionally appears in classical texts, though its dominant and enduring sense remains that of sly trickery.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那个商人很狡猾。
狐狸是一种狡猾的动物。
不要被他狡猾的外表欺骗。
这个计划设计得十分狡猾。
他用了狡猾的手段赢得了比赛。
对手的狡猾策略让我们吃了亏。
识破他狡猾的谎言需要智慧。
面对如此狡猾的辩解，调查陷入了僵局。