cǎn

sad

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components
忄 meaning component

  Meaning component

xinxīn

  

heart

is a component form of .

参 sound component

  Sound component

cānshēn

  

take part in

Evolution

惨 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
惨 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
惨 Clerical script Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Clerical script

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
惨 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
惨 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

cǎn

sad, pitiful, wretched; cruel; miserable; wretched; inhuman; disastrous; tragic; dim; gloomy

Most common words with 惨
Freq.
Word
Meaning

miserable

悲惨

miserable

惨重

disastrous

惨叫

to scream

惨败

to suffer a crushing defeat