助长

助長

zhùzhǎng

verb #23,663

Meanings

1 to encourage (often undesirable things)
2 to foster
3 to foment
4 to fuel (a negative tendency)

Characters

to help / to assist

to grow / to increase

Examples

过度表扬会助长孩子的骄傲情绪。

Guòdù biǎoyáng huì zhùzhǎng háizi de jiāo'ào qíngxù.

Excessive praise can fuel a child's arrogance.

不要助长这种不良风气。

Bùyào zhùzhǎng zhè zhǒng bùliáng fēngqì.

Don't encourage this kind of bad tendency.

Tips

usage

助长 almost always carries a negative connotation — it means encouraging something that should not be encouraged. The idiom 拔苗助长 (pulling up seedlings to help them grow) captures this idea of counterproductive interference.

Stroke Order

助 zhù

长 cháng