How to Write 恫 (dòng) — Meaning “to threaten”

Imagine a heart (忄) that is beaten by a drum (同, which looks like a drum shape). The drumbeat of a threat makes the heart pound with fear. This visual of a heart being threatened by a drum can help you recall that 恫 means 'to threaten' or 'intimidate'.

The left radical 忄 is written with two vertical strokes and one horizontal dot: first the left dot, then the right dot, then the middle vertical line. The right part 同 has a wide outer frame and a small opening below; be careful not to make the strokes too narrow. Common mistakes include writing the heart radical too far from the right part or forgetting the small stroke inside the 'mouth' of 同.

恫 (dòng) means 'to threaten' or 'cause fear', while 忡 (chōng) means 'worried' or 'sad' and 忤 (wǔ) means 'to disobey' or 'offend'. Visually, 恫 has 同 on the right, 忡 has 中 (center), and 忤 has 午 (noon). In usage, 恫 is often used in formal threats (恫吓), 忡 describes a state of anxiety (忧心忡忡), and 忤 appears in words like 忤逆 (disobeying parents).

恫 is not common in daily conversation but appears in formal or literary contexts. The most frequent word is 恫吓 (dòng hè), meaning 'to intimidate' or 'to threaten', often used in news or legal language. Another word is 哀恫 (āi dòng, deep grief), which is more poetic or classical. It is rarely used alone, so focus on learning it within these compound words.

Common words containing 恫 include: 恫吓 (dòng hè) — to intimidate; 哀恫 (āi dòng) — deep grief; 恫疑 (dòng yí) — suspicious and fearful.