瞧不起

• Pinyin: qiáo bu qǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 瞧 = 目 + 焦 (to look intently — gaze); 不 (negation); 起 = 走 + 己 (to rise — not rising, i.e. not worthy of respect)

Meaning

To look down on; to hold in contempt; to consider someone or something as inferior or unworthy of respect.

A colloquial but widely used expression conveying disdain or condescension. Synonymous with 看不起 and 轻视, though more colloquial than both. Often used in conversation and informal writing to describe social snobbery, discrimination, or personal disrespect. The opposite is 看得起 or 尊重.

Examples

1. 他因为出身农村而遭到一些同事的瞧不起，但他用实力证明了自己的价值。 Because he came from the countryside, some coworkers looked down on him, but he proved his value with his ability.
2. 我最讨厌那种瞧不起服务行业从业者的态度，每一份工作都值得被尊重。 I can’t stand the attitude of people who look down on service workers—every job deserves respect.
3. 真正有教养的人不会随意瞧不起他人，无论对方的社会地位如何。 Someone with real character won’t casually look down on others, no matter what their social status is.

Usage Guide

Context: interpersonal, social, everyday

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 她从小家境贫寒，求职过程中屡屡遭受面试官的瞧不起，但她从未放弃，最终凭借自身能力在行业内站稳了脚跟。(Having grown up in poverty, she frequently encountered disdain from interviewers during her job search, but she never gave up and ultimately established herself in the industry through her own abilities.)
• 领导者若瞧不起基层员工的意见，往往会错失来自一线的宝贵信息，最终影响整个团队的判断与决策。(Leaders who look down on input from grassroots employees often miss out on valuable information from the front line, which ultimately affects the entire team's judgement and decision-making.)

Don't Say

• 我瞧不起这道题，太简单了 — 瞧不起 is for people or social groups, not tasks or objects; for something being too easy say 这道题太简单了 (this question is too easy) or 小菜一碟 (a piece of cake)

Origin & History

瞧 (to look/see — colloquial) + 不起 (cannot afford — cannot look up to, i.e. look down on)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal