Chinese word

闷

Pronunciation

Pinyinmēn

Meaning

  • adjectivestuffy

Example

今天办公室很闷，空气不流通。jīn tiān bàn gōng shì hěn mēn kōng qì bù liú tōng

The office is very stuffy today, and the air is not circulating.

Illustration for 闷 (stuffy)

More examples

外面很闷，连一阵风也没有。wài miàn hěn mèn lián yí zhèn fēng yě méi yǒu

It is very muggy outside, without even a breath of wind.

Core concept

Something feels trapped inside, whether it is air in a room, emotion in the mind, or interest with nothing to engage it.

Common phrases

  • 天气闷tiān qì mèn

    muggy weather

  • 闷热mēn rè

    hot and humid

  • 觉得闷jué de mèn

    feel stifled

Similar words

闷热mēn rè: Hot, humid, and airless, causing strong discomfort when there is little or no breeze.
沉闷chén mèn: Having a heavy, gloomy atmosphere or sound that lacks energy.
郁闷yù mèn: Feeling low and unhappy because the mind is troubled or things are not going well.
压抑yā yì: Feeling psychologically stifled because emotions or self-expression are held back.

Definition in Chinese

表示心理上的压抑、不舒畅或无聊的感觉，也可指因环境封闭导致的闷热和呼吸不适。biǎo shì xīn lǐ shàng de yā yì bù shū chàng huò wú liáo de gǎn jué yě kě zhǐ yīn huán jìng fēng bì dǎo zhì de mēn rè hé hū xī bú shì

Word origin

闷 (mèn, "stuffy") comes from 悶 (mèn, "distressed"), whose parts are 门 (mén, "door") + 心 (xīn, "heart"), linking an enclosed space with a troubled inner state.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, the surrounding setting or the person experiencing the feeling often supplies the meaning, while an added subject or setting removes the ambiguity.

Other meanings

  • suffocatingadjective
  • feel stifledverb
  • boredadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 闷热mēn rèhot and humidadjective
  • 闷闷不乐mèn mèn bú lègloomyidiom

Word lists with this word