huī liū liūdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
dull gray / gloomy / dejected / crestfallen / with one's tail between one's legs
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-a6c17e2586625481. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

灰溜溜 灰溜溜 [hui1 liu1 liu1] /dull gray/gloomy/dejected/crestfallen/with one's tail between one's legs/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 灰
    huī

    ash / dust / lime / gray / discouraged / dejected

  • 溜
    liū

    to slip away / to escape in stealth / to skate

    liù

    swift current / rapids / (dialect) (of speech, actions etc) skilled / proficient / (of movements) quick / speedy / (bound form) rain runoff from a roof / (bound form) roof gutter / classifier for rows, lines etc / surroundings / neighborhood / (dialect) to practice / (dialect) to plaster / to fill in the cracks (with cement, lime plaster etc)

  • 溜
    liū

    to slip away / to escape in stealth / to skate

    liù

    swift current / rapids / (dialect) (of speech, actions etc) skilled / proficient / (of movements) quick / speedy / (bound form) rain runoff from a roof / (bound form) roof gutter / classifier for rows, lines etc / surroundings / neighborhood / (dialect) to practice / (dialect) to plaster / to fill in the cracks (with cement, lime plaster etc)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.