Chinese character 嫮

嫮 means beauty or grace in classical Chinese.

The earliest literary example comes from poetry of the ancient Chinese state of Chu during the Warring States period: 《楚辞·大招》 uses 嫮目宜笑 to describe beautiful eyes and a pleasant smile. This dates the recorded example, not the first appearance of the written form.

A Han dynasty history passage uses 嫮 to mean boasting or showing off. In “嫮鄙小县,” a person flaunts status before a small border county; the phrase supplies this less usual reading.

Is 嫮 different from 嫭?

No; 嫮 and 嫭 are variants of the same classical word.

Dictionaries list 嫮 as a variant of 嫭. If a quotation or name uses 嫭, preserve that exact glyph; the variant does not mark a stronger or weaker compliment.