Definition
凶 (xiōng) covers both 'fierce/vicious' and 'ominous/inauspicious' — a broad word. For 'fierce', 凶猛 (xiōngměng) emphasizes wild ferocity (animals), 凶狠 (xiōnghěn) stresses cruel intent, and 凶恶 (xiōng'è) describes a frightening appearance. For 'ominous', 凶 is common in set phrases (凶兆), while 不妙 (bú miào) is more colloquial ('not good').
adjective
fierceviciousferociousominousinauspicious
Easily confused
- 熊xióngsound-alikebear
- 胸xiōngsound-alikechest, bosom, thorax
Examples
- 凶，。Nà zhī lǎohǔ kàn qǐlai fēicháng xiōng, yóukè dōu bù gǎn kàojìn.That tiger looks very fierce, and tourists dare not approach it.
- 。Tā zǒng juéde zuǒ yǎnpí tiào shì gè xiōng zhào.He always thinks a twitching left eyelid is an ominous sign.
- ，。Dǎitú chí xiōng qì shāng rén, yǐjīng bèi jǐngfāng dàibǔ.The criminal injured people with a lethal weapon and has been arrested by the police.
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