qi
noun
(in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy) the vital life force that flows through the body and is supposedly regulated by acupuncture.
Trivia Time
Qi is a central concept in which tradition?
qi
1 American
[chee]
/ tʃi /
noun
Pinyin.
Qi
2
American
[chœ ]
/ tʃœ /
noun
Pinyin.
qi
British
/ tʃiː /
noun
Etymology
Origin of qi
First recorded in 1845–55; from Chinese qì “breath, air, spirit, gas”
Explanation
The word qi may be little, but boy is it energetic. In fact, qi stands for the energy in everything. (It's also a handy word to know in Scrabble.) In Chinese philosophy, qi, also spelled chi or ch'i, is the life force that every person, plant, animal, and thing — including inanimate objects — has. Chinese medicine and acupuncture both address the concept of qi; if you're feeling a little under the weather, an unbalanced qi may be the culprit. The concept is also used in the martial arts: If you've ever practiced tai chi, then you're already familiar with qi, just with a different spelling.
Vocabulary lists containing qi
Scrabble: Two-Letter Words
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Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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Scrabble: Words with Q without U
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
With my skin moisturized, and my qi unblocked, my skin glowed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2024
Gua sha allows for targeted massage to release tension along muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia of the face and neck so that qi can flow properly through the meridians, thereby restoring balance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2024
Every so often these shocks to the system are tremendously welcome: a way to clear the mind, heart and qi, even if the dry sauna is filled with groaning men in a midlife trance.
From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2024
After meditation, Lu took us through a fairly lengthy lecture about different kinds of qi.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2022
Those which end in xi or qi change to ita; e.g., coroxi,u:coroita 'he killed,' qiqi,u:qiita 'he heard,' xiqi,u:xiita 'he stretched it out.'
From Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese Language by Richard L. Spear
"This comes down to the gender differences between men and women," Qi said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
It’s tough to say why men and women differed based on the data and more research could be needed, Qi said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The research, led by Shile Qi of the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China, found that different conditions appear to be associated with distinct patterns of aging across the brain.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
The index is up 2% from a year ago, continuing a rebound that started last month, according to Conrad Qi of The Conference Board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
I couldn’t help giving Wang Qi a silly smile.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
