Chinese word

耸立

Pronunciation

Pinyinsǒng lì

Meaning

  • verbtower

Example

高楼耸立在城市中心。gāo lóu sǒng lì zài chéng shì zhōng xīn

High-rise buildings tower in the city center.

Illustration for 耸立 (tower)

More examples

夜幕下，商业街两旁的写字楼耸立，灯火通明。yè mù xià shāng yè jiē liǎng páng de xiě zì lóu sǒng lì dēng huǒ tōng míng

At night, the office buildings on both sides of the commercial street tower, brightly lit.

Core concept

A building, mountain, or other large form projects high into view and dominates the surrounding space.

Common phrases

  • 写字楼耸立xiě zì lóu sǒng lì

    office buildings tower

  • 电视塔耸立diàn shì tǎ sǒng lì

    television tower stands tall

Similar words

高耸gāo sǒng: Stand extremely high above the surroundings, making the great height especially noticeable.

Definition in Chinese

在周围之上高高直立，形体明显突出，给人以显著的高度感。zài zhōu wéi zhī shàng gāo gāo zhí lì xíng tǐ míng xiǎn tū chū gěi rén yǐ xiǎn zhù de gāo dù gǎn

Word origin

耸立 (sǒnglì, "tower") is formed from 耸 (sǒng, "rise high") and 立 (lì, "stand"), so its meaning centers on a clearly visible upright height.

Usage tips

  • The word is most natural when the height is visually striking, not merely when something is standing, so it helps distinguish vivid scenery descriptions from ordinary statements about position.

Other meanings

  • stand tallverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 耸人听闻sǒng rén tīng wénsensationalidiom
  • 耸动sǒng dòngstir upverb

Word lists with this word