极

jí

extremely

pole (geography, physics); utmost; top

wood (木) + reach (及) = the utmost point

木 anchors the meaning: the top of a tree is as far as a tree can reach, the ultimate point. 及 mainly contributes the sound jí; its sense of 'reaching' happens to echo the idea of an outermost limit.

木+及→极
及To reachPhonetic
木TreeSemantic

今天的天气极冷,出门要多穿衣服。

jīn tiān de tiān qì jí lěng,chū mén yào duō chuān yī fu。

Today's weather is extremely cold; wear more clothes when you go out.

他把这件事做到了极致,让大家都很佩服。

tā bǎ zhè jiàn shì zuò dào le jí zhì,ràng dà jiā dōu hěn pèi fú。

He took this matter to the utmost level, earning everyone's admiration.

Words with 极

极权

jí quán

totalitarian

南极

nán jí

south pole

北极熊

běi jí xióng

polar bear

登极

dēng jí

to ascend the throne

积极

jī jí

active

棒极了

bàng jí le

super

极权主义

jí quán zhǔ yì

totalitarianism

极右翼

jí yòu yì

extreme right (politics)

极点

jí diǎn

extreme point

极限运动

jí xiàn yùn dòng

extreme sport

否极泰来

pǐ jí tài lái

extreme sorrow turns to joy (idiom)

极度

jí dù

extremely

More characters with 木

朿杰术探条橐杂札