慘淡

See also: 惨淡

Chinese

	miserable; wretched; cruel miserable; wretched; cruel; inhuman; seriously; badly; tragic	insipid; diluted; weak insipid; diluted; weak; light in colour; tasteless; fresh; indifferent; nitrogen
trad. (慘淡)	慘	淡
simp. (惨淡)	惨	淡
alternative forms	慘澹／惨澹

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): cǎndàn

(Zhuyin): ㄘㄢˇ ㄉㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): caam² daam⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chhám-tām / chhám-tǎm

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: cǎndàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄘㄢˇ ㄉㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: cǎndàn
  - Wade–Giles: tsʻan³-tan⁴
  - Yale: tsǎn-dàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsaandann
  - Palladius: цаньдань (canʹdanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰän²¹⁴⁻²¹ tän⁵¹/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    慘淡／惨淡
    慘澹／惨澹
    黲淡／黪淡
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: caam² daam⁶
  - Yale: cháam daahm
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsaam² daam⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: cam² dam⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaːm³⁵ taːm²²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhám-tām
  - Tâi-lô: tshám-tām
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhafmdam
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰam⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ tam³³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tam³³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰam⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ tam⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tam²²/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhám-tǎm
  - Tâi-lô: tshám-tǎm
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰam⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ tam²²/

Adjective

慘淡

gloomy; sombre; dim
sad; desolate
(of business, situation, etc.) bleak; slack
- 這些日子，家中光景很是慘澹，一半為了喪事，一半為了父親賦閒。 [MSC, trad.]
  这些日子，家中光景很是惨澹，一半为了丧事，一半为了父亲赋闲。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1925, 朱自清 (Zhu Ziqing), 背影 (Retreating Figure)
  Zhèxiē rìzi, jiā zhōng guāngjǐng hěn shì cǎndàn, yībàn wèile sāngshì, yībàn wèile fùqīn fùxián. [Pinyin]
  These days our family is in reduced circumstances, due partly to the funeral expenses and partly to father's unemployment.
painstaking

Synonyms

(dim):

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冥冥 (míngmíng) (literary)
慘／惨 (cǎn) (literary, or in compounds)
慘白／惨白 (cǎnbái)
昏暗 (hūn'àn)
昏沉 (hūnchén)
昏黑 (hūnhēi)
晦冥 (huìmíng) (literary, used both literally and figuratively)
晦暗 (huì'àn) (literary)
暗淡 (àndàn) (used both literally and figuratively)
烏暗／乌暗 (Hokkien, Teochew)
陰幽／阴幽 (yīnyōu) (literary)
黑暗 (hēi'àn)

(sad):

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京京 (jīngjīng) (literary)
傷心／伤心 (shāngxīn)
傷悲／伤悲 (shāngbēi) (literary)
傷感／伤感 (shānggǎn)
傷懷／伤怀 (shānghuái) (literary)
傷痛／伤痛 (shāngtòng)
傷神／伤神 (shāngshén) (literary)
刺心 (cìxīn)
哀傷／哀伤 (āishāng)
哀切 (āiqiè)
哀怨 (āiyuàn)
哀悽／哀凄 (āiqī)
哀慟／哀恸 (āitòng)
哀戚 (āiqī) (literary)
哀痛 (āitòng)
心酸 (xīnsuān)
怛傷／怛伤 (dáshāng) (literary)
悄然 (qiǎorán) (literary)
情傷／情伤 (qíngshāng) (literary)
悲催 (bēicuī) (neologism, jocular)
悲傷／悲伤 (bēishāng)
悲切 (bēiqiè) (literary)
悲哀 (bēi'āi)
悲悽／悲凄 (bēiqī)
悱惻／悱恻 (fěicè) (literary)
悽惶／凄惶 (qīhuáng) (literary)
悲愴／悲怆 (bēichuàng) (literary)
悽愴／凄怆 (qīchuàng) (literary)
悲慘／悲惨 (bēicǎn)
悲慟／悲恸 (bēitòng)
悲戚 (bēiqī)
悽戚／凄戚 (qīqī) (literary)
悲摧 (bēicuī) (literary)
悲楚 (bēichǔ) (literary)
悲涼／悲凉 (bēiliáng)
悲痛 (bēitòng)
悲苦 (bēikǔ)
感傷／感伤 (gǎnshāng)
愀愴／愀怆 (qiǎochuàng)
愁楚 (chóuchǔ) (literary)
惻然／恻然 (cèrán) (literary)
愴然／怆然 (chuàngrán) (literary)
慘／惨 (cǎn)
憂傷／忧伤 (yōushāng)
慘悽／惨凄 (cǎnqī)
憂愁／忧愁 (yōuchóu)
憂戚／忧戚 (yōuqī) (literary)
憯懍／憯懔 (cǎnlǐn)
懤懤／㤽㤽 (chóuchóu)
沉痛 (chéntòng)
淒切／凄切 (qīqiè)
淒惻／凄恻 (qīcè) (literary)
淒慘／凄惨 (qīcǎn)
淒楚／凄楚 (qīchǔ)
淒涼／凄凉 (qīliáng)
淒然／凄然 (qīrán) (literary)
痛心 (tòngxīn)
艱苦心／艰苦心 (Hokkien)
蒼涼／苍凉 (cāngliáng)
酸心 (suānxīn)
難受／难受 (nánshòu)
難過／难过 (nánguò)
青凊 (Hokkien)
黯然 (ànrán)

(bleak):

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不景 (bùjǐng) (Hong Kong)
不景氣／不景气 (bùjǐngqì)
低迷 (dīmí)
冷淡 (lěngdàn)
清淡 (qīngdàn)
蕭條／萧条 (xiāotiáo)

(painstaking):

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不苟 (bùgǒu) (formal)
仔細／仔细 (zǐxì)
嚴／严 (yán)
嚴肅／严肃 (yánsù)
嚴謹／严谨 (yánjǐn)
墘角 (gièng-gáe̤k) (Eastern Min)
密切 (mìqiè)
審慎／审慎 (shěnshèn) (formal)
小心 (xiǎoxīn)
慎密 (shènmì)
慎重 (shènzhòng)
板正 (bǎnzhèng)
正經／正经
當心／当心 (dāngxīn)
精心 (jīngxīn)
精細／精细 (jīngxì)
細心／细心 (xìxīn)
細膩／细腻 (xìnì) (Min)
認真／认真 (rènzhēn)
謹嚴／谨严 (jǐnyán)
謹慎／谨慎 (jǐnshèn)
較真／较真 (jiàozhēn) (colloquial)
過細／过细 (guòxì)
鞠躬 (jūgōng) (literary)

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “bleak”):

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全盛 (quánshèng)
卬卬 (áng'áng) (literary)
富強／富强 (fùqiáng)
富昌 (fùchāng) (literary)
富盛 (fùshèng) (literary)
強盛／强盛 (qiángshèng)
昌 (literary, or in compounds)
昌明 (chāngmíng) (literary, of a government, culture, etc.)
昌盛 (chāngshèng)
旺盛 (wàngshèng)
昌隆 (chānglóng)
景氣／景气 (jǐngqì)
暢旺／畅旺 (chàngwàng)
條暢／条畅 (tiáochàng) (literary)
火爆 (huǒbào)
紅火／红火 (hónghuo) (mainland China)
繁榮／繁荣 (fánróng)
繁盛 (fánshèng)
繁華／繁华 (fánhuá)
繽紛／缤纷 (bīnfēn) (literary)
興旺／兴旺 (xīngwàng)
興盛／兴盛 (xīngshèng)
興隆／兴隆 (xīnglóng)
茂盛 (màoshèng)
蓬勃 (péngbó)
蕃昌 (fánchāng) (literary)
軫軫／轸轸 (zhěnzhěn) (literary)
隆昌 (lóngchāng) (literary)
隆盛 (lóngshèng)
鼎盛 (dǐngshèng)

Related terms

盡心竭力／尽心竭力 (jìnxīnjiélì)