🇨🇳Chinese Source WordCode: ZH

禁忌

Pronunciation / Transliteration: jìjì

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Taboo/təˈbuː/
nounadjectiveverbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
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🇨🇳 Example Sentence in Chinese:

"谈论死亡在某些文化中是一个禁忌。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A social or religious custom prohibiting or forbidding discussion of a particular practice or association with a particular person, place, or thing.

    "In many cultures, discussing personal finances remains a major social taboo."
As adjective
  1. 1

    Prohibited or restricted by social custom.

    "Certain subjects were considered strictly taboo at the family dinner table."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Tongan word 'tapu' (meaning sacred or forbidden), introduced to the English language by Captain James Cook in the late 18th century during his voyages to the Pacific. The term originally referred to things consecrated, sacred, or prohibited by religious custom, and over time evolved in Western usage to encompass social prohibitions and cultural restrictions.

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