Definition
喜新厌旧 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'love the new, loathe the old.' It describes someone who quickly loses interest in people or things they already have and constantly craves novelty—most often used for romantic fickleness, but also for always wanting the latest gadgets, hobbies, or trends. The four characters are 喜 (love), 新 (new), 厌 (loathe), 旧 (old).
f.e.
to be fickle (especially in affection)to love the new and loathe the old
Examples
- 喜新厌旧。Tā tán le hǎo jǐ cì liàn'ài dōu yīnwèi xǐ xīn yàn jiù ér fēnshǒu.He has had several relationships that ended because of his fickleness.
- 喜新厌旧,。Mǎi diànzǐ chǎnpǐn bié tài xǐ xīn yàn jiù, jiù shǒujī hái néng yòng.Don't be too fickle when buying electronics; the old phone still works.
- ,喜新厌旧。Tā xué huà sān nián jiù nì le, zhēnshi xǐ xīn yàn jiù.She got bored of painting after three years—truly fickle.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.