qi
noun
(in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy) the vital life force that flows through the body and is supposedly regulated by acupuncture.
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
“Like acupuncture, which uses fine needles, Bojin is a method of unblocking stuck qi using a pointed tool made of stone or horn.”
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
I knew qigong is connected to qi, translated from Chinese as vital energy.
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
China's advantages lie in manufacturing scale, supply chain integration and cost competitiveness, said Counterpoint Research's Ethan Qi, while the United States is "much stronger" on software and cutting-edge research.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
“The ETI rebounded in July after declining in May and June, suggesting continued resilience in the labor market, despite the ‘low-hire, low-fire’ backdrop,” said Conrad Qi, economic data scientist associate at The Conference Board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
StepFun's chairman Yin Qi said "deep partnerships" had been established with several major Chinese platforms, including Alipay and ride-hailing giant Didi, according to a sponsored article in state news agency Xinhua.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
To improve the process, Dai, Jin Geng, Dianpeng Qi and colleagues engineered Bacillus subtilis to produce two polymer-degrading enzymes that work together.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 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
Definitions 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.
