凶

兇
xiōng
#1,376 most
frequent character
fierce, ominous, terrible, murder
adjective
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

凶 shows a pit with someone or something trapped inside, so it first meant unlucky. The meaning then grew to evil, terrible, and crop failure or famine.

Drawn as: pit; trapped person inside

凶 as a component in other characters

meaning1 character
酗
sound4 characters
匈汹酗垴
picture1 character
兇

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Example Sentences

他的眼神看起来非常凶。
tāde yǎnshén kànqǐlái fēicháng xiōng 。
His eyes look very fierce.
这个地方给人一种凶险的感觉。
zhègè dìfāng gěirén yīzhǒng xiōng xiǎn de gǎnjué 。
This place gives a feeling of danger.
这个故事有一个凶猛的杀手。
zhègè gùshì yǒu yígè xiōngměng de shāshǒu 。
This story has a fierce murderer.

Same Characters, Different Readings

凶xiōng
fierce, ominous, terrible, murder

Words with similar meanings

凶猛xiōngměng
fierce
More intense and implies a strong sense of aggression.
可怕kěpà
terrible
Often used to describe something frightening or horrifying.
威胁wēixié
menacing
Conveys a sense of threat or danger, often in a more sinister context.

Homophones

兄xiōng
elder brother

Words Starting With 凶

凶恶xiōng è
fierce; ferocious; fiendish; frightening
凶手xiōng shǒu
assailant; murderer; assassin

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