靡

mí, mǐ

非 + 麻

Definitions

mí to waste (money)

mǐ extravagant; go with fashion; not

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 非 represents the meaning and 麻 represents the sound.

Semantic: 非 Phonetic: 麻

About

靡 is a phonosemantic compound: 非 signifies 'not' or 'wrong', and 麻 (hemp) originally gave the sound, though the phonetic connection has greatly weakened in modern pronunciation. The character's early meaning involved physical dispersal: things being scattered, laid flat, or blown over by the wind. It later acquired broader meanings such as wastefulness, extravagance, and the slow decline of strength or resources. Additionally, in classical Chinese it serves as a negative particle, equivalent to 'no' or 'without'.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这种音乐被称为靡靡之音。

Zhè zhǒng yīnyuè bèi chēng wéi mǐmǐzhīyīn.

This kind of music is called decadent music.

他的生活作风有些奢靡。

Tā de shēnghuó zuòfēng yǒuxiē shēmí.

His lifestyle is somewhat extravagant and wasteful.

这种款式曾经风靡全国。

Zhè zhǒng kuǎnshì céngjīng fēngmǐ quánguó.

This style was once all the rage across the nation.

靡费公款的官员受到了惩处。

Mífèi gōngkuǎn de guānyuán shòudàole chéngchǔ.

The officials who squandered public funds were punished.

他们靡然从风，盲目追随潮流。

Tāmen mǐ rán cóng fēng, mángmù zhuīsuí cháoliú.

They followed the trend blindly, slavishly following the fashion.

战争的耗靡让国家经济陷入困境。

Zhànzhēng de hàomí ràng guójiā jīngjì xiànrù kùnjìng.

The enormous consumption of war plunged the country's economy into difficulty.

这座城市充斥着奢靡享乐的风气。

Zhè zuò chéngshì chōngchì zhe shēmí xiǎnglè de fēngqì.

This city is filled with an atmosphere of extravagant pleasure-seeking.

他在个人享乐上的靡费令人咋舌。

Tā zài gèrén xiǎnglè shàng de mífèi lìng rén zéshé.

The profligacy of his personal pleasures is staggering.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 非

Component: 麻

靡