How to Write 悴 (cuì) — Meaning “haggard; worn out”

Imagine a soldier (卒) whose heart (忄) has become completely exhausted after a long battle, looking haggard and pale. This picture of a tired soldier with a sad heart helps you recall both the sound 'cuì' and the meaning 'haggard.'

Write the heart radical 忄 first as two dots and a vertical line, then add the right side 卒 starting with the top point and horizontal stroke. A common mistake is making the left vertical hook too long; the vertical line in 忄 should stop just above the bottom of 卒's last horizontal. Pay attention to keeping the two halves balanced—the left side is narrow and the right side is slightly wider.

恂 (xún) means 'sincere' or 'frightened' and uses the same heart radical but with 旬 (ten days), so it relates to being cautious or honest. 恃 (shì) means 'to rely on' and has the radical 忄 with 寺 (temple), focusing on dependence. In contrast, 悴 specifically describes a worn-out, haggard appearance due to worry or fatigue.

Today, 悴 is almost always used in the compound 憔悴 (qiáo cuì), meaning 'haggard' or 'worn out,' often describing someone physically exhausted from illness or stress. In Chinese literature and movies, a character is described as 憔悴 to emphasize deep emotional suffering, such as after a heartbreak or long hardship. It is a literary and formal word, not commonly used in daily conversation.

Common words containing 悴 include: 憔悴 (qiáo cuì) — haggard; 悴然 (cuì rán) — looking haggard or sad; 忧悴 (yōu cuì) — Haggard with worry.