Definitions
Etymology phono-semantic
rain
About
霸 consists of 雨 (rain) at the top and 革 (leather) with 月 (moon) below. In its earliest usage, it is thought to have designated the appearance of the moon at a certain time or under specific weather conditions, perhaps involving rain. During the Zhou dynasty, however, the character was phonetically borrowed to write the word for a hegemon, a ruler who dominated other states by force, in contrast to a virtuous king ruling by moral authority. This loan meaning completely replaced the original, and the character's modern senses all derive from that: tyranny, bullying, dominance, and aggressive control. The link to rain, leather, and moon exists only as a historical artifact in the character's structure.
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Example Sentences Hide
那个孩子很霸道。
他霸占了整个沙发。
历史上曾有国家争夺霸权。
他是这一带的恶霸。
项羽被称为西楚霸王。
她是全班公认的学霸。
我们必须坚决反对校园霸凌。
两家公司展开了市场争霸战。
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