water and fire; incompatible opposites; disaster; relieve oneself
Meanings
3 senses · 8 examplesnoun
water and fire; incompatible or irreconcilable opposites
Often used in idioms such as 势如水火 or 水火不容 to describe conflicting relationships that cannot coexist.
Their relationship is as incompatible as fire and water; they argue whenever they meet.
These two proposals are mutually exclusive; there is no way to compromise.
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These two colors clash when put together, like water and fire colliding.
noun
extreme misery; disaster; suffering
Abbreviation of 水深火热 (deep water and hot fire), describing dire circumstances or extreme hardship where people suffer greatly.
This hero rescued the common people from the depths of misery.
The war plunged this country into disaster.
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The firefighters risked their lives to rescue trapped people from the disaster.
verb
to relieve oneself; to urinate or defecate
archaicFound in early vernacular Chinese (Ming and Qing dynasty novels). Rarely used in modern speech except in historical or literary contexts.
He suddenly needed to relieve himself, so he had to find a secluded spot.
That person could not control his bodily functions, causing the whole boat to stink.