靐

靐 is a triplication of 雷, the common character for “thunder.”

In Chinese character formation, repeating a logograph intensifies its meaning.

Just as 森 (three 木) means “dense forest” and 品 (three 口) means “many mouths or items,”

靐 (three 雷) signifies “a multitude of thunderbolts.”

Each 雷 itself contains 雨 (rain) and 田 (field) — evoking thunder rumbling under heavy clouds during a storm.

Thus, 靐 visually amplifies the image: rain-laden sky filled with crashing thunder.

靐 is an onomatopoetic and emphatic form of 雷 (“thunder”).

It represents multiple thunderclaps echoing at once — the deep, continuous roar of a thunderstorm rather than a single strike.

Hence, the character conveys the sense of “resounding thunder,” “thunderous noise,” or “thunder rolling across the heavens.”

Because of its powerful imagery, the character is sometimes used metaphorically to describe:

Mighty power or wrath — as of Heaven’s judgment.

Majestic sound — as in music or voice described as thunder-like.

Sudden upheaval — in literature or history.

靐 is a non-standard, literary character, not used in everyday writing.

It appears in:

Classical poetry describing violent storms or heavenly omens.

Daoist and cosmological texts, where 靐靁 (빙뢰) symbolizes divine thunder forces.

Some personal or place names seeking a majestic, awe-inspiring aura.

Modern Chinese dictionaries list it as archaic or variant, but it remains a favorite among calligraphers for its visual impact.

In East Asian cosmology, thunder (雷) represents the awakening power of Heaven (天) — the stirring of yang energy that brings life after winter.

靐, as “great thunder,” magnifies this symbolism into a force of cosmic renewal and divine authority.

In calligraphy and seals, its three 雷 components create a symmetrical, dynamic composition — a visual metaphor for the heaven-earth resonance of storms and creation.