抵挡

• Pinyin: dǐ dǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 抵 = 扌 + 氐 (hand pressing back); 挡 = 扌 + 当 (hand blocking)

Meaning

To resist; to withstand; to hold off. To successfully block or endure a force, attack, pressure, or temptation.

Implies active effort to hold a position against an opposing force. Used both literally (withstanding a physical attack or harsh conditions) and figuratively (resisting temptation, standing up to pressure). Similar to 抵御 but more colloquial and applicable to smaller-scale resistance.

Examples

1. 这款防晒霜能有效抵挡紫外线对皮肤的伤害，户外工作者尤其适用。 This sunscreen effectively blocks UV damage to the skin and is especially suitable for people who work outdoors.
2. 守军凭借险要地形，成功抵挡了多次进攻，坚守阵地长达一个月。 Using the strategic terrain to their advantage, the defenders successfully held off repeated attacks and kept their position for a full month.
3. 面对高额奖金的诱惑，他始终没能抵挡住，最终接受了对手公司的挖角。 Faced with the temptation of a huge bonus, he couldn’t resist in the end and accepted the rival company’s offer to poach him.

Usage Guide

Context: physical resistance, military, psychology, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 再坚固的防线也抵挡不住内部的腐蚀，制度建设必须内外兼顾。(No matter how solid the defences, they cannot withstand internal corrosion — institutional building must address both internal and external threats.)
• 她凭着惊人的意志力，抵挡住了疾病带来的剧烈痛苦，顽强地坚持了下来。(With remarkable willpower, she withstood the intense pain brought on by the illness and held on tenaciously.)

Don't Say

• 抵挡了他 — ambiguous; use 抵挡了他的攻击 or 抵挡了外界的压力; 抵挡 needs a specific force or attack as its object, not just a person

Origin & History

抵 (resist) + 挡 (block/shield)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal