茫然

máng rán

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

Definitions

1. blankly
2. vacantly
3. at a loss

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 明白 míng bai 明白 míng bai clear 从茫然到明白: clear

Related words

2 items

• 发呆 fā dāi 发呆 fā dāi to stare blankly 茫然地发呆: to stare blankly
• 迷茫 mí máng 迷茫 mí máng vast and indistinct 感到迷茫 or 感到茫然: vast and indistinct

Synonyms

1 item

• 困惑 kùn huò 困惑 kùn huò bewildered 感到茫然 or 感到困惑: bewildered

Usage notes

Common mistakes

茫然 usually describes a temporary state of confusion, while 迷茫 can imply a deeper, more lasting confusion about life or direction.

Formality

茫然 is suitable for both spoken and written Chinese, but it leans slightly toward literary or descriptive contexts.

Example Sentences

2 shown

他 茫然 地看着我。

He looked at me blankly.

她感到 茫然 。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 4566039)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 茫然

• 一脸茫然 一脸茫然 yī liǎn máng rán: puzzled
• 茫然失措 茫然失措 máng rán shī cuò: at a loss (idiom)

Child Words of 茫然

• 然 然 rán: correct
• 茫 茫 máng: vast, with no clear boundary