麻痹

• Pinyin: má bì
• Hanzi breakdown: 麻 = 广 (shelter) + 林 (plants/fibres) — numb sensation; 痹 = 疒 (illness radical) + 卑 (low, blocked) — paralysis from blocked circulation

Meaning

Paralyse; cause numbness or loss of function. Metaphorically, to become complacent, let down one's guard, or lull someone into a false sense of security.

Medical: 神经麻痹 (nerve paralysis), 小儿麻痹症 (polio). Figurative: 麻痹大意 (complacent carelessness), 麻痹思想 (complacent mindset), 麻痹对手 (lull the opponent into complacency). The figurative sense is very common in political, military, and management discourse.

Examples

1. 冬天路面结冰时，部分驾驶员麻痹大意，忽视行车安全，导致事故频发。 When roads are icy in winter, some drivers let their guard down and ignore safety, leading to frequent accidents.
2. 脊髓损伤可能导致下肢麻痹，严重影响患者的生活自理能力和生活质量。 A spinal cord injury can cause paralysis in the legs, seriously affecting a patient’s ability to live independently and their quality of life.
3. 谈判过程中，我方代表始终保持高度警惕，绝不因对方的和善态度而麻痹自己的判断力。 Throughout the negotiations, our representative stayed highly alert and never let the other side’s friendly attitude dull their judgment.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, military, safety, management

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 安全生产管理的核心在于消除从业人员的麻痹思想，使每位员工都能在日常操作中保持对风险的高度敏感和警觉意识。(The core of work safety management lies in eliminating the complacent mindset among workers, ensuring that every employee maintains a high degree of sensitivity and vigilance towards risk in daily operations.)
• 病毒性脑炎若未能及时诊断和治疗，可能引发严重的神经系统并发症，包括肢体麻痹和认知功能永久性损伤。(If viral encephalitis is not diagnosed and treated in time, it may cause serious neurological complications, including limb paralysis and permanent damage to cognitive function.)

Don't Say

• 混淆麻痹与麻木 — 麻痹 implies a more complete loss of function or deliberate lowering of one's guard; 麻木 describes a duller emotional numbness or habitual desensitisation without the active or medical connotations

Origin & History

麻 (numb, hemp-like sensation) + 痹 (paralysis, blocked circulation) — combined to describe complete loss of sensation or function

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal