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暴

Mandarin · pinyin bào#

sudden
violent
cruel
to show or expose
to injure

Mandarin · pinyin pù#

variant of 曝 pù

Mandarin · pinyin Bào#

surname Bao

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暴: bào · violent, brutal, tyrannical

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4 · bao4

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1character link24same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 14 senses · 3 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bok3 · bou6 · buk6

Cantonese word readings for 暴. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

sudden (especially when unexpected; almost always of bad things or with a bad connotation)
used in compounds referring to storms or other violent weather events; storm
senses relating to brutishness and brutality — quick-tempered; hot-tempered; rash
senses relating to brutishness and brutality — (literary) to abuse; to oppress; to treat cruelly
senses relating to brutishness and brutality — violent, cruel, brutal; savage, fierce
senses relating to brutishness and brutality — oppressive, tyrannical; tyranny
senses relating to brutishness and brutality — used in compounds referring to rioting
to spoil, waste, squander; to damage

character · Etymology 2

(alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 曝 (“to sun; to air in the sun”)

character · Etymology 2

to show; to expose

character · Etymology 3

to stick out; to bulge

character · Etymology 3

used in 暴樂／暴乐 (bóluò)

character · Etymology 4

(Hokkien) to sprout; to send forth (leaves, buds, beard, bubbles, etc.)

character · Etymology 4

(Hokkien) to emerge; to pop up; to spring forth

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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