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:
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
The movements help with blood circulation and the body’s meridians — which in Chinese medicine refer to the pathways that energy, or qi, flows through.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2023
After meditation, Lu took us through a fairly lengthy lecture about different kinds of qi.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2022
It is used when the material is either dense or defuse; e.g., qi no naca ni 'in the wood,' fito no naca ni 'among the men.'
From Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese Language by Richard L. Spear
All eight of the index’s components have delivered positive average contributions over the past six months, though they were mixed in August, Qi said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
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
Looking forward, Qi said, "We are going to explore more satellite data and look for better understanding of the expansions."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
Xi ordered an investigation that, I’ve since learned, was carried out immediately by his chief of staff, Cai Qi.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Across the yard I saw Principal Long, Wang Qi, and the two boys coming out of the gym.
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.
