About
The character 蹙 is a phono-semantic compound originally meaning to press close, contract, or feel cramped and distressed. Its structure combines the semantic radical 足 (zú, foot) at the bottom, related to treading or feeling physically restricted, with the phonetic component 戚 (qī) on top, which provides the sound. In contemporary use, it most often describes the physical act of knitting one's eyebrows, an expression of worry, pain, or deep thought. This meaning developed from the earlier sense of spatial restriction and treading to include the facial contraction associated with anxiety.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
她蹙眉表示不满。
他蹙着眉头想事情。
看到错误，他蹙起了眉。
这个问题让他眉头紧蹙。
她蹙额沉思，显得很忧虑。
在窘蹙的经济环境下，人们节省开支。
他生活窘蹙，但从不向人求助。
面对复杂的局势，他双眉紧蹙，陷入了深思。