Meaning
怒 is a literary and formal word for anger or rage. It can function as a noun meaning 'anger,' as an adjective meaning 'angry,' or as a verb meaning 'to be angry.' It appears frequently in written Chinese, classical literature, idioms, and formal speech, but is less common in everyday casual conversation.
Usage
怒 is more formal and literary than everyday words like 生气. It often appears in compound words, set phrases, and chengyu. Native speakers use it in writing, news, and formal contexts to convey strong anger or indignation. In spoken conversation, people more commonly say 生气 or 发火.
Examples
- 01他听到这个消息后勃然大怒。.He flew into a rage after hearing this news.
- 02她眼中充满了怒火。.Her eyes were full of angry flames.
Common collocations
- 怒火raging anger, flames of anger
- 怒气anger, fury
- 发怒to get angry, to flare up
- 大怒great anger, to be furious
Antonyms
Origin
The character 怒 combines 奴 (nú, slave) on top and 心 (xīn, heart) on the bottom, originally suggesting the heart of an oppressed person—someone whose anger arises from being treated as a slave.