溃

潰

huì, kuì

氵 + 贵

Definitions

huì used in 潰膿|溃脓[huì nóng]; Taiwan pr. [kuì]

kuì (bound form) (of floodwaters) to break through a dam or dike; (bound form) to break through (a military encirclement); (bound form) to be routed; to be overrun; to fall to pieces; (bound form) to fester; to ulcerate

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 贵 represents the sound. Simplified form of 潰.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 贵

About

溃 is a phonosemantic compound character. The semantic component is 氵, the 'water' radical, indicating a connection to liquids, while the phonetic component 贵 (a simplification of 貴) provides the sound. The traditional form is 潰, retaining the unsimplified 貴. In its earliest usage, 溃 denoted water bursting through a barrier, such as a riverbank or dam, due to overwhelming pressure. This image gave rise to extended meanings: first, military rout and catastrophic defeat, where forces break and scatter like floodwaters; and second, the sudden collapse or disintegration of any organized system. It also developed a medical sense, describing the festering and ulceration of a wound, characterized by tissue breakdown and the release of fluids.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他的精神崩溃了。

Tā de jīngshén bēngkuì le.

His spirit collapsed.

敌军在战斗中溃败了。

Díjūn zài zhàndòu zhōng kuìbài le.

The enemy army was defeated in battle.

伤口没有处理，开始溃烂。

Shāngkǒu méiyǒu chǔlǐ, kāishǐ kuìlàn.

The wound was not treated and began to fester.

士兵们慌乱地溃退了。

Shìbīngmen huāngluàn de kuìtuì le.

The soldiers retreated in disorder.

暴风雨导致大坝溃堤。

Bàofēngyǔ dǎozhì dàbà kuìdī.

The storm caused the dam to breach.

他的胃溃疡又发作了。

Tā de wèi kuìyáng yòu fāzuò le.

His stomach ulcer flared up again.

谣言使整个团队溃散了。

Yáoyán shǐ zhěnggè tuánduì kuìsàn le.

Rumors caused the entire team to disperse.

经济危机让许多公司崩溃。

Jīngjì wēijī ràng xǔduō gōngsī bēngkuì.

The economic crisis caused many companies to collapse.

Related Characters

Component: 氵

Component: 贵

溃