杜绝

• Pinyin: dù jué
• Hanzi breakdown: 杜 = 木 (wood) + 土 (phonetic); 绝 = 纟(thread) + 色 (phonetic) — implies severing completely

Meaning

To completely eliminate or put a total stop to something undesirable. Implies thorough eradication rather than mere prevention or reduction.

Formal register. Frequently appears in policy, legal, and institutional language: 杜绝腐败 (root out corruption), 杜绝隐患 (eliminate hidden dangers). Carries a sense of absolute finality — not merely reducing, but entirely cutting off the possibility. Often paired with 从根源上 (from the root).

Examples

1. 公司出台新规，旨在从根源上杜绝采购环节的腐败行为。 The company introduced new rules to eliminate corruption in procurement at the source.
2. 严格的安检程序有助于杜绝危险品进入公共场所。 Strict security screening helps prevent dangerous items from entering public places.
3. 学校反复强调要杜绝考试作弊现象，否则将严肃处理。 The school repeatedly emphasized that exam cheating must be completely eliminated; otherwise, it will be dealt with strictly.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, law, institutional

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 监管部门已发布通知，要求各地杜绝违规排污行为。(The regulatory authority has issued a notice requiring all regions to completely eliminate illegal discharge of pollutants.)
• 只有建立完善的监督机制，才能从制度上杜绝权力滥用。(Only by establishing a sound supervisory mechanism can the abuse of power be institutionally eliminated.)

Don't Say

• 我杜绝了这个坏习惯 — 杜绝 is used for systemic or widespread problems, not personal habits; say 改掉了这个坏习惯 or 戒除了这个习惯 instead

Origin & History

杜 (stop up/block — originally a tree whose wood was used to plug gaps) + 绝 (completely cut off)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal