B2 verb Formal 1 min read

畏惧

weiju /weɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕy⁵¹/
Practice it

Use '畏惧' to express a profound, formal sense of being intimidated or afraid.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • A formal verb meaning to feel deep fear or dread.
  • Often implies being intimidated by power, difficulty, or danger.
  • Commonly used in literature and formal contexts rather than daily speech.

Overview

  1. 1概述：‘畏惧’是一个书面语色彩较浓的动词，表示心理上的害怕。它不仅包含简单的‘怕’，往往还带有一种因对方强大或环境险恶而产生的退缩心理。2) 用法特点：常作为及物动词，后接名词或动词短语作为宾语；也常用于‘无所畏惧’、‘毫不畏惧’等固定搭配中。3) 常见语境：多用于文学作品、正式演讲或新闻报道中，描述面对自然灾害、社会压力、死亡或强大的对手时的心理状态。4) 同义词辨析：与‘害怕’相比，‘畏惧’更正式，程度更深；与‘恐惧’相比，‘畏惧’侧重于因‘畏’而产生‘避’的心理，而‘恐惧’更多描述生理和心理上的极端惊恐状态。

Examples

1

他并不畏惧生活中的种种挑战。

everyday

He is not afraid of the various challenges in life.

2

面对死亡，这位英雄毫无畏惧。

formal

Facing death, the hero showed no fear at all.

3

虽然他心里有些畏惧，但还是走进了办公室。

informal

Although he felt some dread, he still walked into the office.

4

原始人类对自然现象往往心怀畏惧。

academic

Primitive humans often felt a sense of dread toward natural phenomena.

Common Collocations

畏惧困难 to fear difficulties
毫无畏惧 without any fear
心生畏惧 to feel fear in one's heart

Common Phrases

后生可畏

The younger generation is to be regarded with respect (or fear).

望而生畏

To be intimidated at first sight.

Often Confused With

畏惧 vs 害怕

'害怕' is the generic, colloquial term for fear, while '畏惧' is formal and serious.

畏惧 vs 恐惧

'恐惧' emphasizes the intense psychological or physiological state of terror.

Grammar Patterns

畏惧 + [Noun] 对...感到畏惧 无所/毫不 + 畏惧

How to Use It

Usage Notes

The word '畏惧' belongs to a high register. It is most frequently found in written Chinese, literature, and formal speeches. Using it in casual conversation might make the speaker sound overly dramatic or poetic.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using '畏惧' for very minor or physical fears (like being startled by a loud noise). Another error is using it as an adjective (e.g., '他很畏惧') without an object or context, though it is grammatically possible, '胆小' or '害怕' is usually preferred for personality traits.

Tips

💡

Elevate your writing with formal vocabulary

Replace the common '害怕' with '畏惧' in essays to sound more professional and sophisticated.

⚠️

Avoid using it for trivial matters

Do not use '畏惧' for small things like being afraid of a spicy dish; it sounds unnaturally dramatic.

🌍

The spirit of 'Fearlessness'

In Chinese culture, '无所畏惧' (fearing nothing) is a highly praised virtue of martyrs and heroes.

Word Origin

'畏' originally depicted a person wearing a mask to scare others, evolving to mean 'fear' or 'respect'. '惧' consists of 'heart' (心) and 'eyes' (具/目), suggesting looking around in fear.

Cultural Context

In Chinese ethics, '畏惧' is often balanced with '勇' (courage). One who overcomes '畏惧' for a righteous cause is considered a 'Junzi' (gentleman/noble person).

Memory Tip

Think of 'Wei' (畏) as 'Awe' and 'Ju' (惧) as 'Dread'. When you combine them, you get a formal type of fear that involves respect or being overwhelmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 questions

在大多数语境下意思相近，但‘害怕’用于口语，‘畏惧’用于书面语。例如，怕蟑螂用‘害怕’，面对强权用‘畏惧’。

它是中性词。描述英雄‘无所畏惧’时是褒义，描述临阵脱逃时则带有贬义色彩。

可以。例如‘畏惧权威’或‘畏惧严厉的父亲’，表示对某人的威严感到害怕。

意思是心里产生了害怕的感觉，常用于描写心理变化的瞬间。

Test Yourself

fill blank

真正的勇士在危险面前从不___。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: a

‘畏惧’最符合勇士面对危险时不退缩的语境。

multiple choice

关于‘畏惧’的使用：

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: c

C选项涉及宏大主题，符合‘畏惧’的书面语色彩；其他选项更适合用‘害怕’。

sentence building

困难 / 并没有 / 让他 / 巨大的 / 产生 / 畏惧

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: b

‘巨大的困难’作为主语，‘产生畏惧’作为谓语和宾语，逻辑最为通顺。

Score: /3

Related Content

This Word in Other Languages

怖さ Japanese 공포 Korean
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