Definitions
(bound form) to die prematurely (also pr. [yǎo]); (literary) (of vegetation) luxuriant
(bound form) to die prematurely (also pr. [yǎo]) (variant of 夭[yāo])
Etymology
Depicts a person walking quickly. Original form of 走. Relation to current meaning unclear.
About
The character "夭" originates from a pictographic depiction of a person with a tilted head, conveying the initial meaning of bending or inclining. Its structural form is derived from "大", which represents a standing figure, but with the top stroke modified to suggest a posture of curvature or motion. The semantic range of the character shifted from describing physical posture to characterizing the lush and tender quality of youthful growth, as in the reduplicated "夭夭". This later narrowed to specifically denote premature death, particularly in the context of "夭折", where the concept of early cessation is emphasized.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那棵小树夭折了。
他的梦想不幸夭折。
这场疾病使许多孩子夭亡。
她的才华还没有展现就夭折了。
那个计划因为资金问题夭折了。
这株植物在幼苗阶段就夭折了。
他们的爱情在萌芽时期就夭折了。
这个创新项目由于缺乏支持而夭折。