罔

wǎng

net; deceive, libel; negative particle

Meaning

  • Noun: A net or tool of entrapment/weaving used for capturing.
  • Verb: To deceive, delude, or mislead; to libel (the casting of false accusations).

Grammar and usage

  • Negative particle meaning "not," "no," or "there is no." It may modify the predicate or indicate the absence of a noun.

Distinctions

  • In many early contexts, functions as a variant of or is interchangeable with 無 (wú).

History and forms

  • A semantic precursor to 網 (which adds the silk radical 糸); in classical texts, 罔 may be used where modern readers expect 網.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.