Definitions
(adjective)
evil; demonic; nefarious
(noun)
unhealthy influences causing disease (in Chinese medicine)
(adjective)
strange; abnormal
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. 牙 represents the sound and ⻏ represents the meaning. Based on the original use as a place name. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
The character 邪 originated as a place name, etymologically constructed from the phonetic component 牙, meaning "tusk" or "fang", combined with the radical 邑, indicating a settlement or region. Over time, this original geographical sense was largely abandoned, and the character was repurposed to convey abstract notions of deviation and irregularity. Its core meaning shifted to signify something crooked or not straight, both in a literal and moral sense, thereby encompassing ideas of wickedness, heresy, and unorthodox practices. This semantic expansion allowed 邪 to function in classical texts as an interrogative particle, a usage derived from its phonetic borrowing. In traditional Chinese medicine, it further specialized to denote external pathogenic factors that cause disease. The traditional form of the character remains structurally consistent with its earlier versions, preserving the 牙 component, while its range of meanings consolidated around a central concept of harmful deviation from a proper or healthy norm.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个人的想法很邪恶。
他认为自己中了邪。
我们要坚决抵制邪教组织。
感冒多由风邪入侵引起。
驱邪仪式并没有实际效果。
那笑容里透着一股邪气。
社会上的歪风邪气必须纠正。
他正邪莫辨的态度让人困惑。