惨重

• Pinyin: cǎn zhòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 惨 = 忄(heart) + 参 (phonetic); 重 = pictograph of a heavy bundle

Meaning

Extremely severe; disastrous (of losses or casualties). Describes damage, casualties, or defeat on a grave scale.

Almost exclusively collocates with 损失、伤亡、代价、失败 to express that the losses or casualties are catastrophically heavy. Stronger and more formal than 严重.

Examples

1. 这场洪灾造成了惨重的经济损失，数十万人被迫转移。 This flood caused extremely severe economic losses, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to relocate.
2. 由于指挥失误，部队在这次战役中伤亡惨重。 Due to command errors, the troops suffered devastating casualties in this battle.
3. 公司在这笔投资上蒙受了惨重损失，几乎陷入破产边缘。 The company sustained catastrophic losses on this investment, nearly teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Usage Guide

Context: news, history, military, disaster, economics

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这次事故造成了惨重的人员伤亡。(This accident caused extremely heavy casualties.)
• 连年战争使这个国家遭受了惨重损失。(Years of war caused the country devastating losses.)

Don't Say

• 我这次考试成绩惨重。(惨重 collocates with concrete, large-scale losses — use 惨不忍睹 or 很差 for a bad exam score)

Origin & History

惨 (tragic, miserable) + 重 (heavy, severe). Together they intensify the severity of a loss or disaster beyond ordinary seriousness.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal