瘟疫 wēnyì plague
plague; pestilence
How to remember 瘟疫: 瘟 epidemic + 疫 epidemic = plague.
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How it is used
- A plague / pestilence - 瘟疫蔓延 (wēnyì mànyán) the plague spreads; 一场瘟疫 (an epidemic).
- Evokes a large, deadly historic outbreak; heavier and more dramatic than the clinical 传染病 (chuánrǎnbìng).
- Also figurative for a spreading social evil (像瘟疫一样, spreading like a plague).