Definitions
arch. legendary venomous insect; to poison; to bewitch; to drive to insanity; to harm by witchcraft; intestinal parasite
About
The character 蛊, whose traditional form is 蠱, is etymologically constructed from three of the虫 (chóng, insect) components placed above the vessel radical 皿 (mǐn). This pictographic composition visually represents venomous insects or worms contained within a jar, a concept tied to a specific ancient practice of poisoning. The original meaning referred to a type of poison or toxin cultivated by sealing such creatures together. Over time, the semantic scope of the character broadened beyond the literal physical poison to encompass more abstract and harmful influences, leading to its use in words denoting bewitchment, malicious deception, and corrupting delusion, as seen in the compound 蛊惑 (gǔhuò). The simplified form 蛊 maintains the lower 皿 component but reduces the top to a single 虫.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
谣言常常蛊惑人心。
他用诡计蛊惑了群众。
这种宣传容易蛊惑年轻人。
不要被虚假信息蛊惑。
你怎么能蛊惑你的朋友呢？
虽然他知道真相，但还是被蛊惑了。
那些蛊惑人心的言论应该被禁止。
在古代，蛊毒被认为是一种神秘的毒药。