Definitions
Etymology phono-semantic
rain
About
The character 霸 has a structural composition with the semantic component 雨 (yǔ, "rain") at the top and 革 (gé, "leather") and 月 (yuè, "moon") below. It originally referred to the moon's appearance at certain times or related weather phenomena, but was later borrowed phonetically to denote a hegemon, a supreme ruler of states during the Zhou dynasty. This phonetic borrowing shifted its meaning toward a powerful leader who rules by force rather than moral authority. Thus, the modern sense revolves around tyranny, dominance, and aggressive control, disconnected from the meteorological and lunar elements in its structure.
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Example Sentences Hide
那个孩子很霸道。
他霸占了整个沙发。
历史上曾有国家争夺霸权。
他是这一带的恶霸。
项羽被称为西楚霸王。
她是全班公认的学霸。
我们必须坚决反对校园霸凌。
两家公司展开了市场争霸战。