Chinese word

恐惧

Pronunciation

Pinyinkǒng jù

Meaning

  • nounfear

Example

我在黑暗中感到恐惧。wǒ zài hēi àn zhōng gǎn dào kǒng jù

I feel fear in the dark.

Illustration for 恐惧 (fear)

More examples

面对突发状况，他没有被恐惧击倒。miàn duì tū fā zhuàng kuàng tā méi yǒu bèi kǒng jù jī dào

When faced with an unexpected situation, he was not overcome by fear.

Core concept

A powerful inner alarm rises when danger feels real and can range from sudden fright to sustained terror.

Common phrases

  • 感到恐惧gǎn dào kǒng jù

    feel fear

  • 产生恐惧chǎn shēng kǒng jù

    develop fear

  • 战胜恐惧zhàn shèng kǒng jù

    overcome fear

Similar words

恐怖kǒng bù: A very strong feeling of fear brought on by danger or a shocking event.
惊慌jīng huāng: A state of fear and confusion after something sudden happens, with little calm or control.
恐惧症kǒng jù zhèng: A disorder marked by unusually strong and lasting fear of a specific thing or situation.

Definition in Chinese

感到威胁或危险时产生的强烈害怕感。gǎn dào wēi xié huò wēi xiǎn shí chǎn shēng de qiáng liè hài pà gǎn

Word origin

恐 (kǒng, "fear") + 惧 (jù, "dread") forms a compound in which two related ideas reinforce the sense of intense fear.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this noun is more formal or literary than the short, common expressions for an immediate scare, while it suits serious descriptions and psychological terms.

Other meanings

  • terrornoun
  • frightnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 恐惧感kǒng jù gǎnsense of fearnoun
  • 恐惧症kǒng jù zhèngphobianoun

Word lists with this word