暴躁

• Pinyin: bào zào
• Hanzi breakdown: 暴 = 日 + 共 + 水; 躁 = 足 (foot) + 喿 (noisy, phonetic)

Meaning

Hot-tempered; irascible; irritable. Quick to anger and prone to outbursts.

Describes a personality trait of being easily angered and prone to explosive reactions. Can be used for temporary states influenced by stress, fatigue, or illness, or as a more permanent character trait.

Examples

1. 他脾气暴躁，动不动就发火，同事们都不敢招惹他。 He has a hot temper and loses it at the slightest thing — colleagues don't dare provoke him.
2. 睡眠不足让她变得特别暴躁，一点小事就能把她惹毛。 Lack of sleep made her extremely irritable; the smallest thing could set her off.
3. 更年期的人情绪容易暴躁，家人需要多一点理解和耐心。 People going through menopause tend to be emotionally volatile; family members need more understanding and patience.

Usage Guide

Context: personality, psychology, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他最近脾气很暴躁。(He's been very irritable lately.)
• 别惹他，他今天暴躁得很。(Don't provoke him — he's in a foul mood today.)

Don't Say

• 用'暴躁'称赞别人 (Don't use 暴躁 as a compliment — it's always negative)

Origin & History

暴 (violent/sudden) + 躁 (restless/agitated). Violently restless in temperament.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal