About
The character "闷", historically represented by the traditional form "悶", integrates the component "心" for heart or mind with "門" for door, constructing a conceptual metaphor of a heart enclosed behind a door to convey a state of confinement or suffocation. Its earliest applications often pertained to tangible experiences such as stagnant air or oppressive atmospheres, but over time the meaning shifted toward internalized emotional conditions, predominantly boredom, melancholy, or a sense of psychological repression. This semantic progression from the physical to the emotional realm allowed the character to retain its foundational imagery of closure while specializing in describing human affective states, with its compound structure continuously reflecting the intertwined ideas of internal seclusion and mental restraint.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
今天天气很闷。
我在屋里觉得闷。
这间教室很沉闷。
这个新闻让我很闷。
他总闷着头干活。
闷热的夏天很难受。
我闷在家里好几天了。
他心里闷着好多话没说。