灰
huī
ash
dust; lime; gray; discouraged; dejected
a picture of 灰 → the ash and gray left after fire dies
Fire leaves behind ash — gray, powdery, lifeless. The extended senses of 'discouraged' and 'dejected' grow naturally from that image of something burned out.
炉子里只剩下一堆灰了。
lú zi lǐ zhǐ shèng xià yī duī huī le。
There is only a pile of ash left in the stove.
他考试没过，心里很灰。
tā kǎo shì méi guò，xīn lǐ hěn huī。
He failed the exam and felt very dejected inside.
Words with 灰
炮灰
pào huī
cannon fodder
烟灰缸
yān huī gāng
ashtray
灰心丧气
huī xīn sàng qì
downhearted
灰白色
huī bái sè
ash gray
灰飞烟灭
huī fēi yān miè
lit. scattered ashes and dispersed smoke (idiom)
灰蒙蒙
huī mēng mēng
dusky
骨灰
gǔ huī
bone ash
骨灰盒
gǔ huī hé
box for bone ashes
骨灰龛
gǔ huī kān
columbarium
不费吹灰之力
bù fèi chuī huī zhī lì
as easy as blowing off dust
南灰伯劳
nán huī bó láo
(bird species of China) southern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis)
吃灰
chī huī
(neologism c. 2019) (coll.) to gather dust