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衰

Mandarin · pinyin cuī#

variant of 縗 cuī

Mandarin · pinyin shuāi#

(bound form) to decay; to decline; to wane

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衰: shuāi · decline, falter, decrease; weaken

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

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Mandarin tones

1 · cui1

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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 · 10 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ceoi1 · seoi1

Cantonese word readings for 衰. 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

to grow weak; to decrease in strength; to decline
(Cantonese, Hakka, Min) to have bad luck
(Cantonese, Hakka) bad; detestable; awful
(Cantonese) to make a grave mistake
(Cantonese, transitive) to mess up (something); to be caught for (wrongdoing)
(Cantonese) to suffer from faulty personality traits or habits, or commit minor faults with moderate to significant consequences.

character · Etymology 2

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to reduce; to decrease in order

character · Etymology 3

(alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 縗 /缞 (cuī, “a type of mourning garment made of sackcloth”)
(archaic, borrowing) alternative form of 崔 (cuī, “a surname”)
(archaic, borrowing) alternative form of 崔 (cuī, “a surname”) — used in 衰子/title for 崔杼 (as found in a bronze pot inscription)

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

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