吹捧

• Pinyin: chuī pěng
• Hanzi breakdown: 吹 = 口 (mouth) + 欠 (phonetic) = to blow; 捧 = 扌 (hand) + 奉 (offer) = to hold up

Meaning

To flatter; to hype up; to lavish praise on. Excessive or insincere praise, often for personal gain.

Carries negative connotations of insincerity or ulterior motives. 互相吹捧 (mutual flattery) describes people praising each other for mutual benefit. Common in critical discussions of media hype or sycophancy.

Examples

1. 媒体对这位明星的吹捧有些过分了。 The media's hype of this celebrity has been a bit excessive.
2. 他靠吹捧上司一路升职。 He got promoted by flattering his superiors.
3. 这部电影被吹捧得很厉害，实际上很一般。 This movie was hyped up a lot, but it's actually mediocre.

Usage Guide

Context: media, workplace, critical

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 不要轻信媒体的吹捧。(Don't easily believe media hype.)
• 他总是吹捧领导，让人反感。(He's always flattering the boss; it's off-putting.)

Don't Say

• 我吹捧你是真心的 (If praise is sincere, don't use 吹捧 — use 夸奖 or 称赞 instead, as 吹捧 implies insincerity)

Origin & History

Compound of 吹 (to blow, inflate) and 捧 (to hold up, support). Together they mean to inflate someone's importance by holding them up.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal