猖獗

猖獗 (chāngjué) means 'rampant' or 'out of control.' It describes something widespread and unrestrained, usually with a negative connotation. You'll often see it used for things like crime, disease, or illegal activities.

It's definitely a negative word. You wouldn't use it to describe something good that's spreading, like happiness or success. Think of it for problems getting worse and spreading widely.

Sure. For instance, you could say:

犯罪活动非常猖獗。
(Fànzuì huódòng fēicháng chāngjué.)
Crime activities are extremely rampant.

Here's one:

这种疾病正在全国猖獗。
(Zhè zhǒng jíòng zhèngzài quánguó chāngjué.)
This disease is running rampant across the country.

Yes, almost exclusively. It's used for negative phenomena like corruption, violence, or harmful trends that are spreading widely and uncontrollably.

It's more common in formal contexts, like news reports or discussions about social issues. You might hear it in daily conversation if someone is talking about a serious problem, but it's not an everyday filler word.

Words like 肆虐 (sì'nüè, to wreak havoc) or 泛滥 (fànlàn, to overflow; to spread unchecked) can be similar in meaning, especially when describing something negative spreading widely. However, '猖獗' specifically emphasizes the unrestrained and out-of-control aspect.

It's chāngjué. Make sure you get the tones right: chāng (first tone) and jué (second tone).

Yes, it can. For example, you could say:

谎言在网上猖獗。
(Huǎngyán zài wǎngshàng chāngjué.)
Lies are running rampant online.

猖獗 is considered a B2 level word. This means it's a useful word for learners who are moving beyond intermediate Chinese and want to discuss more complex topics.