耻笑

• Pinyin: chǐ xiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 耻 = shame; 笑 = 竹 (bamboo) + 夭 (young) = to laugh

Meaning

To ridicule; to mock; to laugh at someone with contempt.

A formal term for mocking or ridiculing someone. Implies contemptuous laughter at someone's failures or shortcomings. Often used in literary or formal contexts.

Examples

1. 他因为口音被同学耻笑，感到很受伤。 He was ridiculed by classmates because of his accent and felt very hurt.
2. 失败并不可怕，可怕的是被人耻笑后就放弃。 Failure isn't scary; what's scary is giving up after being mocked.
3. 不要耻笑别人的梦想。 Don't ridicule other people's dreams.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, social situations, literary

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 他害怕被人耻笑而不敢发言。(He was afraid of being ridiculed and didn't dare speak up.)
• 这种行为会被世人耻笑的。(This kind of behavior will be mocked by the world.)

Don't Say

• 我们耻笑着聊天 (耻笑 is negative and directed at someone; for friendly laughing, use 说笑)

Origin & History

Compound of 耻 (shame) and 笑 (laugh). Together they mean laughing in a way that shames someone.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal