Definition
卫道士 (wèi dào shì) refers to a person who aggressively defends a moral, ideological, or religious system — often with a negative connotation in modern Chinese, implying rigidity, close-mindedness, or unquestioning loyalty. The English word 'apologist' can be similarly used but lacks the specifically 'moral guardian' flavor; in Chinese contexts, 卫道士 is frequently deployed in criticism of those who defend outdated or oppressive norms.
n.
apologistdefender of a (moral or ideological) doctrine (often pejorative)
Examples
- 卫道士，。Zhèxiē suǒwèi de wèi dào shì zhǐ huì wéihù jiù guīju, cóng bù yuànyì jiēshòu xīn sīxiǎng.These so-called apologists only defend old rules and never accept new ideas.
- 卫道士，。Tā bú yuànyì dāng wèi dào shì, érshì xuǎnzé lǐxìng de tǎolùn wèntí.He doesn't want to be an apologist; instead he chooses to discuss issues rationally.
- ，卫道士。Zài zhège lùntán shàng, yǒu rén bànyǎn le chuántǒng lǐjiào de wèi dào shì.On this forum, some people acted as apologists for traditional rites.
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