轻蔑

• Pinyin: qīng miè
• Hanzi breakdown: 轻 = 车 + 圣 (trivial/light); 蔑 = 艹 + 戊 + 目 (despise — eyes dismissively overlooking)

Meaning

To despise; to look down upon; to treat with contempt or disdain.

Indicates a strong sense of scorn toward someone or something considered inferior or unworthy. More intense than 看不起. Used in interpersonal, political, and literary contexts to describe arrogant or discriminatory attitudes.

Examples

1. 他用轻蔑的目光扫视了一眼对手，随即转身离去，不屑一顾。 He swept his opponent with a contemptuous look, then turned and walked away without giving him a second thought.
2. 这位学者对伪科学持明显的轻蔑态度，从不给予任何认可。 The scholar shows clear contempt for pseudoscience and never gives it any legitimacy.
3. 她从不轻蔑任何人，始终以平等和尊重之心待人处世。 She never looks down on anyone, and always treats people with equality and respect.

Usage Guide

Context: interpersonal, literature, social criticism

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 他以轻蔑的语气回应了记者的提问，随即引发了广泛的公众不满。(He responded to the journalist's question in a contemptuous tone, immediately sparking widespread public discontent.)
• 任何形式的轻蔑都可能加剧社会矛盾，严重损害人与人之间的信任基础。(Any form of contempt can exacerbate social tensions and severely undermine the foundation of trust between people.)

Don't Say

• 我轻蔑地喜欢这件事 — 轻蔑 is inherently negative and dismissive; it cannot logically coexist with liking something in the same statement

Origin & History

轻 (light/trivial) + 蔑 (despise/belittle) — to regard as trivial and treat with contempt

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal