Definitions

(adjective) confused; lost; bewildered
(verb) to be crazy about; enthusiastic about
(noun) fan; enthusiast

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

迷 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical, 辶 (chuò), relates to walking or movement, while its phonetic component is 米 (mǐ), meaning rice. Originally, the character described the physical act of losing one’s way. Over time, its meaning broadened to include mental states like confusion and delusion. In modern usage, it often denotes a positive obsession, describing someone enthusiastically devoted to a hobby, person, or activity, akin to a "fan" or "enthusiast".

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我 在 公园 里 路 了。

Wǒ zài gōngyuán lǐ mílù le.

I got lost in the park.

他 是 个 狂热 的 足球

Tā shì ge kuángrè de zúqiú mí.

He is a passionate soccer fan.

这个 问题 让 我 很 惑。

Zhège wèntí ràng wǒ hěn míhuò.

This question puzzles me a lot.

不要 信 那些 没有 根据 的 说法。

Búyào míxìn nàxiē méiyǒu gēnjù de shuōfǎ.

Don't superstitiously believe in those baseless claims.

这座 建筑 像 个 巨大 的 宫。

Zhè zuò jiànzhú xiàng ge jùdà de mígōng.

This building is like a huge maze.

他 曾 深深 恋 过 古典 音乐。

Tā céng shēnshēn míliàn guò gǔdiǎn yīnyuè.

He was once deeply infatuated with classical music.

过度 沉 于 网络 游戏 有害 健康。

Guòdù chénmí yú wǎngluò yóuxì yǒuhài jiànkāng.

Excessive addiction to online games is harmful to health.

这个 历史 谜团 至今 仍 未 找到 答案。

Zhège lìshǐ mítuán zhìjīn réng wèi zhǎodào dá'àn.

This historical mystery still hasn't found an answer to this day.