敛
withdraw; restrain; collect
Meanings
3 senses · 14 examplesverb
to withdraw; to hold back (expression or steps)
literaryOften used in formal or literary contexts to describe controlling facial expressions, emotions, or stopping movement.
Hearing the news, everyone held their breath and remained silent.
Seeing the teacher walking over, the students stopped their steps immediately.
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She listened with held breath, afraid to miss a single word.
The sunset withdrew its last rays, and the sky darkened.
verb
to restrain; to curb; to lie low
literaryUsed to describe restraining one's behavior, arrogance, or illegal activities.
The police are cracking down hard recently, so the thieves have all gone into hiding.
You need to restrain your temper and stop losing your temper all the time.
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That bully was finally punished and had to curb his arrogance.
Since nobody likes joking around, you should hold back a bit.
After this crackdown, it is hard for the criminal gang to regroup and cause trouble again.
verb
to collect; to gather; to levy
Can mean gathering physical objects or collecting money/taxes, often implies collecting into a pile or accumulating.
Corrupt officials in ancient times often ruthlessly levied exorbitant taxes, scraping the fat and sweat of the people.
Please gather up the toys scattered on the ground.
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This gang of bandits entered the village to collect money and stole quite a few livestock.
She deftly gathered all the books on the desk into her schoolbag.
This country expanded its armaments by accumulating wealth.