猛

The character conveys the idea of overwhelming strength or intensity, whether physical, emotional, or metaphorical.

A phono-semantic compound:

犭 (animal / beast) — semantic component

孟 (eldest; great; first) — phonetic component

The animal radical 犭 suggests beast-like behavior, while 孟 contributes both sound and the sense of greatness or extremity.

Together, they depict a beast at the height of its power, leading to the meaning “fierce, savage.”

From describing ferocious animals, the meaning broadened to include:

- human courage (bravery, boldness)

- intensity of action (sudden, forceful)

- abstract strength (fierce wind, strong attack, intense emotion)

In modern Korean, 猛 is mostly used, often in formal, literary, or academic contexts:

- descriptions of violence, intensity, or valor

- military, journalistic, or rhetorical language

맹수 (猛獸) — ferocious beast

용맹 (勇猛) — bravery; valor

맹렬하다 (猛烈하다) — fierce; violent; intense

맹공 (猛攻) — fierce attack

맹풍 (猛風) — violent wind

Related characters:

烈 — fierce, intense (emphasizes burning intensity)

強 — strong (neutral strength, not savagery)

勇 — brave (courage without ferocity)

狠 — cruel (moral cruelty rather than force)

猛 does not inherently imply moral judgment: it can describe heroic bravery or dangerous violence depending on context.

The sense “sudden” comes from the idea of force appearing all at once.

Common in historical descriptions of warriors, storms, attacks, and emotions.