冷落

• Pinyin: lěng luò
• Hanzi breakdown: 冷 = 冫(ice) + 令 (command); 落 = 艹(grass) + 洛 (phonetic — to fall/drop)

Meaning

To neglect; to cold-shoulder; to leave someone feeling ignored or unwelcome. Also used as an adjective meaning deserted or desolate.

As a verb, describes treating someone with indifference or failing to attend to them, causing them to feel overlooked. As an adjective in literary use, it describes a place that is quiet and forsaken. Common in social, interpersonal, and literary contexts.

Examples

1. 聚会上他被大家冷落在角落，没有人主动和他交谈。 At the gathering, everyone left him sitting in a corner, and no one took the initiative to talk to him.
2. 繁华落尽之后，这条老街显得格外冷落萧条。 After all the bustle faded, this old street looked especially deserted and run-down.
3. 长期的冷落让这位老艺术家感到无比失落与痛苦。 Years of being neglected left the elderly artist feeling deeply hurt and miserable.

Usage Guide

Context: social, relationships, literature

Tone: melancholic

Do Say

• 在宴席上，别冷落了远道而来的客人。(At the banquet, don't leave the guests who have come from afar feeling neglected.)
• 她感到被整个团队冷落，工作积极性大受打击。(She felt cold-shouldered by the entire team, and her motivation suffered greatly.)

Don't Say

• 将冷落作动词和形容词混用而不加区分 — 作动词时专指对人的忽视，作形容词时才描述场所的萧条冷清

Origin & History

冷 (cold/cool) + 落 (fall/drop — falling from warmth)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal