Definition
铜臭 is a derogatory term that literally means 'the stench of copper/coins'. It refers to the vulgar, money-obsessed attitude of someone who values wealth above all else — the 'smell of money' as a moral flaw. You use it to criticize people or behaviors that are shamelessly greedy or mercenary. It is a fixed noun phrase, often used in literary or formal criticism.
n.
(derogatory) the stench of moneyvulgar obsession with wealth
Examples
- 铜臭，。Tā mǎn shēn tóng chòu, zuò shénme shì dōu zhǐ xiǎng zhe qián.He reeks of the stench of money — everything he does is only about money.
- 铜臭，。Zhè piān wénzhāng chōngmǎn le tóng chòu, dú qǐlái lìng rén fǎngǎn.This article is full of the stench of money; it's repulsive to read.
- 铜臭，。Nà zhǒng tóng chòu de shāngrén, zuìzhōng huì shīqù péngyou hé xìnyù.That kind of merchant reeking of money will eventually lose friends and credibility.
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