About
怩 is a phonosemantic compound combining the heart radical 忄 (xīn), pointing to emotions or inner states, with 尼 (ní) as the phonetic component. The character conveys a feeling of bashfulness, shame, or embarrassment. It rarely occurs on its own and is instead almost always found in the binome 忸怩 (niǔní), which describes a coy, sheepish, or awkwardly shy manner.
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