藐 (miǎo) - To despise, look down upon & to belittle

藐Tone 3

miǎo ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

藐 · miǎo

To despise, look down upon;

to belittle;

also means distant, remote, or small.

To despise, look down uponto belittlealso means distant, remote, or small.

Usage highlights

DespiseContemptDistant and remoteLook down uponBelittleContemptuous attitude

Synonyms

  • 蔑— despise, disregard
  • 鄙— despise, scorn
  • 轻— belittle, look down on

Antonyms

  • 尊— respect, honor
  • 敬— respect, revere
  • 重— value, esteem

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He despises those who lie (藐视 liars).
  • The mountain peak looks distant and hazy (藐远的山峰).
  • She spoke with a contemptuous tone (藐视的语气).
  • Ancient legends seem remote and unreal (藐远的传说).

Collocations

  • Despise(藐视)
  • Contempt(藐视)
  • Distant and remote(藐远)
  • Look down upon(藐视)
  • Belittle(藐视)
  • Contemptuous attitude(藐视的态度)

Idioms

  • To speak contemptuously(口出藐视之言)
  • To regard as insignificant(视之藐藐)
  • Distant and indistinct(藐远难及)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese, 藐 carries connotations of both spatial distance and psychological disdain.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing both physical remoteness and attitudes of contempt.
  • In modern usage, it's more commonly used in the sense of looking down upon or despising.

FAQ