Chinese word

灭绝

Pronunciation

Pinyinmiè jué

Meaning

  • verbgo extinct

Example

这种动物已经快要灭绝了。zhè zhǒng dòng wù yǐ jīng kuài yào miè jué le

This animal species is about to go extinct.

Illustration for 灭绝 (go extinct)

More examples

一些传统作物的本地品种在工业化农业冲击下逐渐灭绝，影响生态多样性。yì xiē chuán tǒng zuò wù de běn dì pín zhǒng zài gōng yè huà nóng yè chōng jī xià zhú jiàn miè jué yíng xiǎng shēng tài duō yàng xìng

Some local varieties of traditional crops are gradually going extinct under the pressure of industrialized agriculture, affecting biodiversity.

Core concept

A line of existence is cut off completely, whether it belongs to nature, culture, or another kind of thing.

Common phrases

  • 阻止灭绝zú zhǐ miè jué

    prevent extinction

  • 避免灭绝bì miǎn miè jué

    avoid extinction

Similar words

绝种jué zhǒng: Become completely nonexistent as a species, with no members left to continue it.
消失xiāo shī: Disappear from sight or cease to be present.
消灭xiāo miè: Completely eliminate an enemy, pest, or other harmful target.
绝迹jué jì: Disappear completely from a particular place or area, leaving no trace.

Definition in Chinese

指生物种群在数量上减少到完全不存在，或习俗、语言、事物等逐渐完全消失的状态。zhǐ shēng wù zhǒng qún zài shù liàng shàng jián shǎo dào wán quán bù cún zài huò xí sú yǔ yán shì wù děng zhú jiàn wán quán xiāo shī de zhuàng tài

Word origin

灭 (miè, "extinguish") + 绝 (jué, "cut off") expresses existence being extinguished and its continuation cut off completely.

Usage tips

  • 灭绝 (mièjué, "complete extinction") normally applies to a whole species, language, custom, or similar category rather than to one individual member.

Other meanings

  • disappearverb
  • eradicateverb
  • perishverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 灭绝危机miè jué wēi jīextinction crisisnoun

Word lists with this word