About
The character "窒" is constructed from the semantic component "穴", meaning cave or hole, and the phonetic component "至", meaning to arrive, which also contributes to its meaning. Its core concept derives from the idea of something arriving to block a cavity, leading to its fundamental meaning of obstruction or stoppage. Historically, this character was used to express the act of blocking up or filling in a space, which naturally extended to metaphorical and physiological obstructions, such as the stifling of breath or the suppression of airflow. Over centuries of linguistic use, its applications solidified around verbs meaning to choke, stifle, or block, and the resultant state of being obstructed or suffocated, with its semantic range consistently tied to this concept of impediment and confinement.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
浓烟会导致窒息。
地下室空气窒闷。
管道被杂物窒塞了。
这项规定窒碍了发展。
他的专制管理让员工感到窒息。
缺乏创新会窒塞公司的进步。
在高压环境下工作容易产生窒息感。
思想上的禁锢比肉体上的窒息更可怕。