verb / adjective HSK 5
to arouse · to stimulate · to excite · fierce · intense
Meaning
激 originally meant 'rapid flowing water' and carries the sense of something forceful, intense, or stirring. As a verb, it means to provoke or stimulate emotions or actions. As an adjective, it describes something fierce, radical, or extreme.
Usage
激 is commonly used in compound words rather than standalone. It appears in words describing intense emotions (激动 'excited'), fierce competition (激烈 'fierce'), or stimulation (激励 'to motivate'). It carries a sense of intensity and energy, often with emotional or physical force.
Examples
- 01这场比赛非常激烈。.This competition was extremely fierce.
- 02他的话激起了大家的兴趣。.His words aroused everyone's interest.
Common collocations
- 激起to arouse, to stir up
- 激发to stimulate, to inspire
- 过激extreme, radical
- 激增to surge, to increase sharply
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 水 (water) radical with 敫 (to strike), originally depicting water striking and splashing forcefully, which extended to mean intense, fierce, or to stimulate.