Definition
鄙夷 is a formal, literary verb meaning 'to look down upon' or 'to despise'. It is stronger and more elevated in register than the everyday 看不起 (kàn bu qǐ). You will mostly encounter it in written Chinese — essays, literature, news commentary — where it conveys a sense of moral or intellectual contempt.
v.
to look down uponto despise (formal/literary)
Examples
- 鄙夷。Tā nà zhǒng bǐ yí de mùguāng ràng rén hěn bù shūfu.That contemptuous look of his made people very uncomfortable.
- 鄙夷。Duì ruòzhě bù yīng cǎiqǔ bǐ yí de tàidu.One should not adopt a contemptuous attitude toward the weak.
- ，鄙夷。Tā mièshì quánguì, bǐ yí qūyánfùshì zhī bèi.He scorns the powerful and looks down on those who curry favor with them.
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