Meaning
枉 means 'in vain' or 'wrongly,' indicating that something is done without result or is unjust. It often appears in literary or formal contexts to express futility, waste, or moral wrongness. The character can also mean 'to bend' or 'crooked,' relating to its original meaning of something not straight or proper.
Usage
枉 is primarily used in formal or literary Chinese. It commonly appears in fixed expressions like 枉费 (to waste effort) or 冤枉 (to wrong someone). In modern spoken Mandarin, it's less common than synonyms like 白白 for 'in vain,' but it adds a classical, elegant tone to writing and formal speech.
Examples
- 01我们的努力没有枉费，终于成功了。, .Our efforts were not in vain; we finally succeeded.
- 02这次旅行真是不枉此行，看到了很多美景。, .This trip was truly worthwhile; we saw many beautiful sights.
Common collocations
- 枉费心机to waste one's scheming/efforts
- 枉然in vain, to no avail
- 枉法to pervert the law
- 不枉此行the trip was worthwhile
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 木 (wood/tree) and 王 (king/ruler), originally suggesting something bent or not straight. This physical meaning extended metaphorically to moral crookedness and actions done wrongly or in vain.