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
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
吹灰
chuī huī
to blow away dust
吹灰之力
chuī huī zhī lì
(idiom) a slight effort
大灰啄木鸟
dà huī zhuó mù niǎo
(bird species of China) great slaty woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus)
大灰狼
dà huī láng
big bad wolf
奶奶灰
nǎi nai huī
granny gray (hair color)
小灰山椒鸟
xiǎo huī shān jiāo niǎo
(bird species of China) Swinhoe's minivet (Pericrocotus cantonensis)