抨击

• Pinyin: pēng jī
• Hanzi breakdown: 抨 = 扌 + 平 (hand + level — strike to knock flat); 击 = 凵 + 手 (vessel struck by a hand — hit)

Meaning

Criticise harshly; to attack verbally with force; to denounce someone or something severely in speech or writing.

Stronger than 批评 (criticise). Implies a sustained, public, and often aggressive verbal or written assault on a person, policy, or institution. Frequently appears in political commentary, journalism, and public debate.

Examples

1. 多位学者在论坛上对该政策的短视性进行了猛烈抨击。 At the forum, many scholars launched fierce criticism of the policy’s short-sightedness.
2. 她的演讲对当前社会上的虚伪风气予以了严厉抨击。 In her speech, she sharply denounced the hypocrisy that’s common in society today.
3. 这篇社论抨击了某些官员滥用职权的行为。 This editorial condemned certain officials for abusing their power.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, journalism, public debate, academic

Tone: forceful

Do Say

• 反对党议员在议会上公开抨击政府在公共卫生领域的严重失职行为。(Opposition MPs publicly denounced the government's serious dereliction of duty in the field of public health during parliamentary proceedings.)
• 这篇调查报道对企业排污行为进行了有据可查的强力抨击，引发广泛关注。(This investigative report launched a well-documented and forceful attack on the company's pollution practices, drawing widespread attention.)

Don't Say

• 他抨击了我的发型 — use 嘲笑 or 批评 for teasing or criticising personal appearance; 抨击 is reserved for substantive public or political criticism, not trivial personal remarks

Origin & History

抨 (strike hard with words) + 击 (hit, attack) — a forceful verbal strike against a target

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal