liè

inferior

few (少) + strength (力) = inferior

少 drives the meaning: having too little strength or ability marks someone as inferior. 力 mainly contributes the sound liè here, though the image of scarce force is a happy coincidence.

+
StrengthPhonetic
FewSemantic

这批货的质量低,不能卖。

zhè pī huò de zhì liàng dī liè, bù néng mài。

The quality of this batch of goods is inferior and cannot be sold.

他用质材料建房子,很危险。

tā yòng liè zhì cái liào jiàn fáng zi, hěn wēi xiǎn。

He built the house with inferior materials, which is very dangerous.

Words with 劣

鄙劣

bǐ liè

base

顽劣

wán liè

stubborn and obstreperous

低劣

dī liè

inferior quality

假冒伪劣

jiǎ mào wěi liè

cheap quality counterfeit (goods)

伪劣

wěi liè

inferior

优胜劣汰

yōu shèng liè tài

survival of the fittest (idiom)

优劣

yōu liè

good and bad

优胜劣败

yōu shèng liè bài

see 優勝劣汰|优胜劣汰[you1 sheng4 lie4 tai4]

劣势

liè shì

inferior

劣币驱逐良币

liè bì qū zhú liáng bì

bad money drives out good money (economics)

劣汰

liè tài

elimination of the weakest

劣等

liè děng

poor-quality; inferior

More characters with 少