Definition
自暴自弃 is a four-character idiom meaning 'to give up on oneself' — to deliberately abandon hope, ambition, or moral standards, often after a setback or due to laziness. The characters 暴 ('to harm') and 弃 ('to abandon') emphasize self-inflicted damage. You can use it to describe someone who stops trying to improve or who indulges in destructive behavior. It is a serious judgment, so avoid using it lightly.
f.e.
to abandon oneself to despair or a dissipated lifeto give up on oneselfto have no ambition
Examples
- 自暴自弃，。Yù dào shībài jiù zì bào zì qì, zhè bú shì jiějué wèntí de bànfǎ.Giving up on yourself when you face failure is not the way to solve problems.
- ，自暴自弃。Tā shīyè hòu zhěngtiān hējiǔ, wánquán zì bào zì qì le.After losing his job, he drank all day and completely gave up on himself.
- 自暴自弃，。Lǎoshī quàn tā bú yào zì bào zì qì, chóngxīn zhènzuò qǐlái.The teacher advised him not to abandon himself and to pull himself together again.
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