威武

wēiwǔ
adjective #37,693

Meanings

  1. 1 mighty
  2. 2 imposing; awe-inspiring
  3. 3 impressive; badass

Examples

HSK 4
兄弟威武
Xiōngdì, wēiwǔ!
Bro, that was epic!
HSK 7-9
Jiěfàngjūn fāngzhèn zǒuguò Tiān'ānmén, fēicháng wēiwǔ.
The PLA formation marched past Tiananmen, looking truly imposing.

Tips

history
From Mencius's classic line 富贵不能淫,贫贱不能移,威武不能屈 ("Riches can't corrupt me, poverty can't shift me, force can't bend me") - defining the upright gentleman. The phrase is still quoted in political speeches today.
register
Two registers coexist: literary/military (a 威武 general or parade) and modern slang where 威武 functions like "badass" - often shouted in online comments to praise someone's gutsy move.

Stroke Order

wēi