畏惧

• Pinyin: wèi jù
• Hanzi breakdown: 畏 = 田 + 鬼 (fear of ghostly or overpowering force); 惧 = 忄+ 瞿 (dread, be filled with fear)

Meaning

To fear; to dread. A strong feeling of fear or apprehension toward something threatening, formidable, or overwhelming.

More formal and literary than 害怕 or 恐惧. Often used in written Chinese, political discourse, and descriptions of overcoming adversity. Frequently appears in negative constructions: 无所畏惧 (fearless), 毫不畏惧 (without the slightest fear).

Examples

1. 面对强敌，他没有丝毫的畏惧。 Facing a powerful opponent, he showed not the slightest fear.
2. 对未知事物的畏惧是人类共有的本能反应。 Fear of the unknown is an instinctive response shared by all humans.
3. 长期生活在威权的阴影下，她对批评产生了深深的畏惧。 After living for years under the shadow of authoritarian rule, she developed a deep fear of criticism.

Usage Guide

Context: written, emotional, literary

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 探险队员无所畏惧地踏入了这片从未有人涉足的原始丛林。(The expedition members fearlessly stepped into this virgin jungle that no one had ever entered.)
• 我们不应该畏惧失败，而应该从中汲取经验和教训。(We should not fear failure, but should draw experience and lessons from it.)

Don't Say

• 我畏惧那条小狗 — use 害怕 in casual speech; 畏惧 is overly formal and literary for everyday situations like being scared of a small dog

Origin & History

畏 (fear, awe) + 惧 (fear, dread) — both characters mean fear, combined for emphasis

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal