Usage of the character 极

Hong Taiji (1592-1643), eighth son of Nurhaci 努爾哈赤／努尔哈赤 ( Nǔ'ěrhāchì), reigned 1626-1636 as Second Khan of Later Jin dynasty 後金／后金 ( Hòu Jīn), then founded the Qing dynasty 大清 ( Dà Qīng) and reigned 1636-1643 as Emperor
posthumous name 清太宗 ( Qīng Tàizōng)

Wújíxiàn

无极县

[無極縣]

Wuji county in Shijiazhuang 石家莊／石家庄 ( Shíjiāzhuāng), Hebei

piānjíjìng

偏极镜

[偏極鏡]

polarizing lens
polarizer

běijíguāng

北极光

[北極光]

northern lights
aurora borealis

nánběijí

南北极

[南北極]

south and north poles

xuánzhuǎnjí

旋转极

[旋轉極]

pole of rotation

Tàijítú

太极图

[太極圖]

diagram of cosmological scheme
Yin-Yang symbol ☯

jíyòuyì

极右翼

[極右翼]

extreme right (politics)

piānjíhuà

偏极化

[偏極化]

polarization
polarized

bājíquán

八极拳

[八極拳]

Ba Ji Quan "Eight Extremes Fist" - Martial Art

jídàzhí

极大值

[極大值]

maximum value

jízuòbiāo

极坐标

[極座標]

polar coordinates (math.)

xiāojíxìng

消极性

[消極性]

passive
passivity
negative
negativity

jījíxìng

积极性

[積極性]

zeal
initiative
enthusiasm
activity

bàngjíle

棒极了

[棒極了]

super
excellent

Nánjí Hǎi

南极海

[南極海]

Southern Ocean

tàijíquán

太极拳

[太極拳]

shadowboxing or Taiji, T'aichi or T'aichichuan
traditional form of physical exercise or relaxation
a martial art

yángdiànjí

阳电极

[陽電極]

anode
positive electrode (i.e. attracting electrons)

běijí'ōu

北极鸥

[北極鷗]

(bird species of China) glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)

běijíhú

北极狐

[北極狐]

arctic fox

Běijíquān

北极圈

[北極圈]

Arctic Circle

Nánjíjiè

南极界

[南極界]

Antarctic realm

nánjíguāng

南极光

[南極光]

southern lights
aurora australis

liǎngjíhuà

两极化

[兩極化]

to polarize
polarization
polarized; divergent

dìlǐjí

地理极

[地理極]

geographic pole
north and south poles

tàijíjiàn

太极剑

[太極劍]

a kind of traditional Chinese sword-play

Nánjízhōu

南极洲

[南極洲]

Antarctica

dǎtàijí

打太极

[打太極]

to practice tai chi
(fig.) to avoid responsibility
to pass the buck

pǐjítàilái

否极泰来

[否極泰來]

extreme sorrow turns to joy (idiom)

zuìdà'èjí

罪大恶极

[罪大惡極]

guilty of terrible crimes (idiom)
reprehensible

xǐjí'érqì

喜极而泣

[喜極而泣]

crying tears of joy (idiom)

cídānjízǐ

磁单极子

[磁單極子]

magnetic monopole

Tàijí Túshuō

太极图说

[太極圖說]

philosophical book by Song dynasty scholar Zhou Dunyi 周敦頤／周敦颐 ( Zhōu Dūnyí), starting from an interpretation of the Book of Changes

jíshēnyánjǐ

极深研几

[極深研幾]

deep and detailed investigation (idiom)

jījíjìnqǔ

积极进取

[積極進取]

proactive

jíxiànyùndòng

极限运动

[極限運動]

extreme sport

jízuòbiāoxì

极坐标系

[極座標系]

system of polar coordinates

jījífènzǐ

积极分子

[積極分子]

enthusiast
(political) activist

qióngxiōngjí'è

穷凶极恶

[窮凶極惡]

fiendish
black-hearted

jíduānfènzǐ

极端分子

[極端份子]

extremist

jíduānzhī'è

极端之恶

[極端之惡]

(philosophy) radical evil

lèjíshēngbēi

乐极生悲

[樂極生悲]

extreme joy turns to sorrow (idiom); Don't celebrate too soon, things could still go wrong!

jímùyuǎnwàng

极目远望

[極目遠望]

as far as the eye can see

huánjíwōxuán

环极涡旋

[環極渦旋]

circumpolar vortex

qióngshējíchǐ

穷奢极侈

[窮奢極侈]

extravagant in the extreme (idiom)

jíshèngshíqī

极盛时期

[極盛時期]

most flourishing period
Golden Age

wùjíbìfǎn

物极必反

[物極必反]

when things reach an extreme, they can only move in the opposite direction (idiom)

liǎngjífēnhuà

两极分化

[兩極分化]

polarization

wèijírénchén

位极人臣

[位極人臣]

to have reached the highest official positions

jíjiǎnzhǔyì

极简主义

[極簡主義]

minimalism

jījífǎnyìng

积极反应

[積極反應]

active response
energetic response

jíběiliǔyīng

极北柳莺

[極北柳鶯]

(bird species of China) Arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis)

guāng'èrjíguǎn

光二极管

[光二極管]

photodiode
light-emitting diode (LED)

jíduānzhǔyì

极端主义

[極端主義]

extremism

jíyòufènzǐ

极右分子

[極右份子]

an extreme right-winger

jílèshìjiè

极乐世界

[極樂世界]

paradise (mainly Buddhist)
Elysium
(Budd.) Sukhavati

jíyǒukěnéng

极有可能

[極有可能]

extremely possible
probable

dēngfēngzàojí

登峰造极

[登峰造極]

to reach great heights (in technical skills or scholastic achievements)

xìsījíkǒng

细思极恐

[細思極恐]

scary to think about (coll.) (coined c. 2013)

jíquánzhǔyì

极权主义

[極權主義]

totalitarianism

dānjīngjílü

殚精极虑

[殫精極慮]

to exhaust one's thoughts and ingenuity (idiom); to think sth through thoroughly
to rack one's brains
to leave no stone unturned

hóngjíyīshí

红极一时

[紅極一時]

tremendously popular for a while

shèngjíyīshí

盛极一时

[盛極一時]

all the rage for a time
grand fashion for a limited time

qióngshējíyù

穷奢极欲

[窮奢極欲]

to indulge in a life of luxury (idiom); extreme extravagance

jīguāng'èrjíguǎn

激光二极管

[激光二極管]

laser diode

yīnjíshèxiànguǎn

阴极射线管

[陰極射線管]

cathode ray tube

fāguāng'èrjítǐ

发光二极体

[發光二極體]

light-emitting diode (LED) (Tw)

Nánjízhōu Bàndǎo

南极洲半岛

[南極洲半島]

the Antarctic Peninsula (jutting out towards South America)

guāngdiàn'èrjíguǎn

光电二极管

[光電二極管]

photodiode

fāguāng'èrjíguǎn

发光二极管

[發光二極管]

light-emitting diode
LED

jíduǎnpiānxiǎoshuō

极短篇小说

[極短篇小說]

flash fiction

jíběizhūdǐngquè

极北朱顶雀

[極北朱頂雀]

(bird species of China) Arctic redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni)

wúsuǒbùyòngqíjí

无所不用其极

[無所不用其極]

committing all manner of crimes
completely unscrupulous

Huángtàijí Qīng Tàizōng

皇太极清太宗

[皇太極清太宗]

Hong Taiji (1592-1643), eighth son of Nurhaci 努爾哈赤／努尔哈赤 ( Nǔ'ěrhāchì), reigned 1626-1636 as Second Khan of Later Jin dynasty 後金／后金 ( Hòu Jīn), then founded the Qing dynasty 大清 ( Dà Qīng) and reigned 1636-1643 as Emperor

xīfāngjílèshìjiè

西方极乐世界

[西方極樂世界]

Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or Sukhavati (Sanskrit)