How to Write 畏 (wèi) — Meaning “To fear / To dread”

Imagine a farmer standing in a field (田) who suddenly sees a scary ghostly figure below — he feels fear (畏). The bottom part looks like a crouching man with arms raised, which helps you recall the feeling of dread.

The top part 田 should be wide and flat, not too tall. The bottom strokes start with a left-falling stroke (丿) and then a horizontal hook (㇂), ending with two small strokes inside — a common mistake is making the bottom too big or writing the hook as a separate stroke.

畏 has the radical 田 on top with a complex bottom (a ghostly figure), while 男 (man) has 田 above 力 (strength), meaning male. 甸 (suburbs) has 田 on the left and 勹 (wrap) on the right. Their meanings are completely different: only 畏 relates to fear.

畏 is common in formal or literary contexts, often in compound words like 畏惧 (fear) and 无所畏惧 (fearless). It appears in idioms or serious writing to express deep respect or fright, such as 后生可畏 meaning 'the younger generation is awe-inspiring'.

Common words containing 畏 include: 畏惧 (wèi jù) — To fear / Dread; 畏缩 (wèi suō) — To recoil / To flinch; 无所畏惧 (wú suǒ wèi jù) — Fearless and dauntless..