Definition
水军 literally means 'water army', but in modern Chinese internet slang it refers to paid online posters or commenters hired to manipulate public opinion, create artificial buzz, or attack or defend someone in social media, forums, and review platforms. The term originally came from the concept of 'flooding' (灌水) a forum with comments. It carries a negative connotation of inauthentic, orchestrated activity online.
p.w.
paid online posters / Internet water army / online astroturfers
Examples
- 水军。Zhè jiā gōngsī gù le hěn duō shuǐ jūn lái shuā hǎopíng.This company hired a lot of paid posters to boost positive reviews.
- 水军，。Pínglùn lǐ quán shì shuǐ jūn, méi shénme zhēnshí yìjiàn.The comments are full of paid posters — there are hardly any genuine opinions.
- 水军。Zhè cì shìjiàn míngxiǎn yǒu shuǐ jūn zài dài jiézòu.This incident clearly involved paid posters manipulating the narrative.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.