蔑视 in 30 Seconds
- 蔑视 (mièshì) means contempt or scorn, implying a strong sense of superiority and a total lack of respect for the object.
- It is a formal word often used in literature, legal contexts (contempt of court), and political discourse to describe serious disdain.
- Unlike 'ignore' (无视), 蔑视 is an active emotional rejection. It is stronger than 'underestimate' (轻视) and more formal than 'despise' (鄙视).
- Commonly used to describe attitudes toward laws, authority, enemies, or difficulties. It can be used both negatively (arrogance) and positively (bravery).
The Chinese word 蔑视 (mièshì) is a powerful term used to describe a deep-seated feeling of contempt, disdain, or scorn towards someone or something. While technically categorized here as a noun, it frequently functions as a verb in Chinese sentences, representing the act of looking down on others with a sense of superiority. The essence of the word lies in the belief that the object of one's disdain is worthless, inferior, or beneath consideration. It is not merely a lack of respect; it is an active, often cold, rejection of value.
- Emotional Core
- At its heart, 蔑视 involves a hierarchy. The person feeling 蔑视 positions themselves 'above' the target. It is the emotion felt by a tyrant toward the weak, or a scholar toward ignorance.
他的眼神中充满了对失败者的蔑视。(His eyes were filled with contempt for the losers.)
In social contexts, 蔑视 is a 'cold' emotion. It lacks the heat of anger but possesses the sharpness of a blade. When you use this word, you are describing a situation where social or moral boundaries are often being crossed. It is commonly found in literature to describe the attitude of a villain or a proud aristocrat. However, it can also be used positively in a 'heroic' sense—such as '蔑视困难' (to treat difficulties with contempt), implying that one is so strong that obstacles are trivial.
- Visual Metaphor
- The character 蔑 (miè) contains the 'eye' radical (目) in some ancient forms, and historically relates to 'small' or 'slight.' To 蔑视 is literally to view something as 'tiny' or 'insignificant.'
真正的勇者蔑视一切威胁。(A true hero scorns all threats.)
In modern usage, 蔑视 is frequently paired with abstract nouns like 法律 (law), 权威 (authority), or 规则 (rules). If someone '蔑视法律,' they are not just breaking the law; they are showing that they have zero respect for the legal system itself. This makes it a very strong word in legal and political discourse.
- Social Context
- Using this word in person-to-person conversation is rare unless you are describing a third party's behavior or talking about a very serious conflict. It is too formal and heavy for casual disagreements.
我们不应该蔑视任何人的努力。(We should not look down on anyone's efforts.)
Using 蔑视 correctly requires understanding its grammatical flexibility. While it is often translated as 'contempt' (noun), in Chinese, it usually appears in the 'Subject + 蔑视 + Object' pattern or as part of a prepositional phrase '对...表示蔑视' (show contempt toward...).
- Pattern 1: Direct Object
- When used as a verb, it directly precedes the target of the disdain. Example: '他蔑视对手' (He scorns his opponent).
这种行为是对公众利益的蔑视。(This behavior is a contempt for the public interest.)
When acting as a noun, it is frequently modified by adjectives like '强烈的' (strong), '公开的' (open/public), or '深刻的' (deep). This helps specify the intensity and nature of the contempt. For instance, '公开的蔑视' suggests that the person is making no effort to hide their disdain, which is often seen as a direct challenge or insult.
- Pattern 2: As a Modifier
- You can use it to describe an expression or attitude: '蔑视的目光' (a contemptuous look) or '蔑视的神情' (a disdainful expression).
他带着一种蔑视的微笑离开了房间。(He left the room with a contemptuous smile.)
In formal writing, 蔑视 often appears in the context of 'contempt of court' (蔑视法庭), which is a specific legal term. This highlights the word's serious and formal register. It is not a word children use on the playground; it is a word used in news reports, historical novels, and high-level political analysis.
- Word Collocations
- Commonly paired with: 权贵 (the powerful), 贫穷 (poverty), 死亡 (death), 危险 (danger).
勇士蔑视死亡，为了荣誉而战。(The warrior scorns death and fights for honor.)
While 蔑视 is not common in everyday 'grocery store' conversations, you will encounter it frequently in specific high-level environments. Understanding these contexts will help you grasp the word's weight and social implications.
- 1. News and Media
- In international relations or political reporting, if one country ignores the warnings of another or violates international treaties, journalists might describe this as '蔑视国际法' (contempt for international law).
媒体批评该官员对民意的蔑视。(The media criticized the official's contempt for public opinion.)
2. **Literature and Cinema**: This is perhaps where you will hear it most. In historical dramas (Wuxia or Period dramas), a powerful lord might show 蔑视 to a humble peasant. In modern psychological thrillers, a villain might express 蔑视 for the 'weak' morality of the hero. It is a key word for building character dynamics and showing power imbalances.
- 3. Legal Settings
- The phrase '蔑视法庭' (Contempt of Court) is a standard legal term. You will hear this in courtroom dramas or news reports about legal proceedings where a witness refuses to cooperate or insults the judge.
他因蔑视法庭而被罚款。(He was fined for contempt of court.)
4. **Academic and Philosophical Discussions**: In debates about ethics or social structures, 蔑视 is used to analyze how different classes or groups perceive one another. Philosophers might talk about the '蔑视' of the elite toward the masses, or the '蔑视' of traditionalists toward new ideas.
- 5. Sports Commentary
- Sometimes, a very dominant athlete's attitude toward their opponents is described as 蔑视. It suggests they are so much better that they don't even take the competition seriously.
这种公开的蔑视引起了强烈的反弹。(This open contempt sparked a strong backlash.)
Because 蔑视 has several synonyms with subtle differences, learners often use it in the wrong context. Avoiding these mistakes will make your Chinese sound much more natural and precise.
- Mistake 1: Confusing 蔑视 with 无视 (wúshì)
- '无视' means to 'ignore' or 'disregard' (literally 'not see'). '蔑视' is a feeling of 'contempt.' You can ignore someone without feeling contempt for them, and you can feel contempt for someone while paying very close attention to them.
错误：他蔑视了我的提醒。(Incorrect if you mean he just forgot/ignored it. Correct: 无视)
Mistake 2: Using it for 'disliking' something minor. You wouldn't say you '蔑视' broccoli or '蔑视' a movie you didn't like. 蔑视 requires a moral or status-based judgment. It is about 'looking down' on something, not just finding it unpleasant. For food or entertainment, use '不喜欢' or '讨厌'.
- Mistake 3: Confusing with 鄙视 (bǐshì)
- '鄙视' is more common in casual speech and often implies a moral judgment (despising someone for being unethical). '蔑视' is more formal and often implies a power or status judgment (looking down on someone for being weak or insignificant).
正确：我们鄙视那种作弊的行为。(We despise that kind of cheating.)
Mistake 4: Tone errors. Some learners pronounce '蔑' (miè) with a rising tone like 'mié.' This changes the word entirely or makes it unrecognizable. The fourth tone (falling) is essential to convey the 'downward' nature of the gaze described by the word.
- Mistake 5: Overuse
- Because it's a 'cool' sounding word, learners sometimes use it everywhere. Remember that 蔑视 is a very heavy, aggressive word. Using it too often can make you sound overly dramatic or hostile.
不要因为对手小就轻视他们。(Don't underestimate them just because they are small.)
To truly master 蔑视, you must see how it sits within a family of words related to 'looking' and 'valuing.' Here is a comparison of the most common alternatives.
- 蔑视 (mièshì) vs. 鄙视 (bǐshì)
- 蔑视 is formal, often about power/status. 鄙视 is more common in daily life, often about moral judgment. If a rich man looks down on a poor man, it's 蔑视. If you look down on someone who lies, it's 鄙视.
- 蔑视 (mièshì) vs. 轻视 (qīngshì)
- 轻视 (literally 'light look') means to 'underestimate' or 'not take seriously.' It lacks the emotional hostility of 蔑视. You might 轻视 an exam (not study enough), but you wouldn't 蔑视 an exam unless you thought the whole concept of testing was beneath you.
他轻视了这次比赛的难度。(He underestimated the difficulty of this competition.)
Another word is **藐视 (miǎoshì)**. This is very similar to 蔑视 and often interchangeable, but 藐视 emphasizes the 'smallness' of the object even more. It is often used in the phrase '藐视一切困难' (to treat all difficulties as insignificant). It feels slightly more literary and 'heroic' than the cold, dark 蔑视.
- 蔑视 (mièshì) vs. 傲慢 (àomàn)
- 傲慢 is an adjective meaning 'arrogant.' It describes a personality trait. 蔑视 is the action or feeling directed at someone else. An 傲慢 person is likely to feel 蔑视 toward others.
他的傲慢让他对所有人表现出蔑视。(His arrogance made him show contempt for everyone.)
Finally, consider **无视 (wúshì)**. As mentioned before, this is simply 'to ignore.' If a driver '无视' a red light, they just didn't pay attention to it. If they '蔑视' the traffic laws, they know the light is red but think they are too important to stop.
- Summary Table
- 蔑视 (Contempt/Status) | 鄙视 (Despise/Moral) | 轻视 (Underestimate/Value) | 无视 (Ignore/Attention)
Fun Fact
The radical in '蔑' (艹) actually refers to grass, and early forms involved looking through grass or having obscured vision, which led to the meaning of 'not seeing clearly' and eventually 'choosing not to see the value in something.'
Pronunciation Guide
- Pronouncing 'miè' with a second tone (rising) like 'mié'.
- Pronouncing 'shì' like 'si' (missing the 'h' sound).
- Failing to make the tones sharp enough, making it sound like 'miese'.
- Confusing the vowel in 'miè' with 'mèi'.
- Softening the 'sh' sound too much.
Examples by Level
他蔑视我的小礼物。
He scorns my small gift.
Subject + 蔑视 + Object
坏人蔑视好人。
The bad person scorns the good person.
Basic SVO structure.
不要蔑视弱小的人。
Don't look down on weak people.
Negative imperative '不要'.
他的眼神里有蔑视。
There is contempt in his eyes.
Using 蔑视 as a noun.
她蔑视这个游戏。
She scorns this game.
Direct object.
老师不准学生互相蔑视。
The teacher doesn't allow students to scorn each other.
Verb following '不准'.
那只猫蔑视它的主人。
That cat scorns its owner.
Personification.
这个国王蔑视他的子民。
This king scorns his people.
Formal context.
他的这种蔑视让我很难过。
His contempt makes me very sad.
Noun modified by '这种'.
我们不能蔑视法律。
We cannot scorn the law.
Auxiliary verb '不能'.
他带着蔑视的微笑走了。
He left with a contemptuous smile.
Modifier '蔑视的'.
这种蔑视是不礼貌的。
This kind of contempt is impolite.
Subject noun phrase.
他公开蔑视公司的规则。
He openly scorns the company's rules.
Adverb '公开' modifying the verb.
面对困难，我们要蔑视它。
Facing difficulties, we should scorn them.
Positive psychological use.
他不应该蔑视别人的努力。
He shouldn't look down on others' efforts.
Moral advice.
那篇文章充满了蔑视。
That article is full of contempt.
Phrase '充满了'.
他的态度表现出对传统的蔑视。
His attitude shows a contempt for tradition.
Prepositional phrase '对...的蔑视'.
这种行为是对法庭的蔑视。
This behavior is contempt of court.
Legal terminology.
他因为蔑视对手而输掉了比赛。
He lost the match because he underestimated his opponent.
Causal conjunction '因为'.
我们不应蔑视任何形式的知识。
We should not scorn any form of knowledge.
Formal '不应'.
他那蔑视的眼神让人感到不安。
His contemptuous look makes people feel uneasy.
Descriptive modifier.
她用蔑视来掩盖内心的自卑。
She uses contempt to hide her inner insecurity.
Psychological description.
这种蔑视源于根深蒂固的偏见。
This contempt stems from deep-seated prejudice.
Verb '源于' (stems from).
他公开表示对权威的蔑视。
He openly expressed contempt for authority.
Formal expression '表示...蔑视'.
对生命的蔑视是任何文明都不能容忍的。
Contempt for life is intolerable in any civilization.
Abstract subject.
他以一种蔑视的姿态拒绝了邀请。
He rejected the invitation with a contemptuous gesture.
Adverbial phrase '以...的姿态'.
这种蔑视只会加深双方的矛盾。
This contempt will only deepen the conflict between the two sides.
Future/Predictive '只会'.
他虽然贫穷，但从不蔑视自己。
Although he is poor, he never scorns himself.
Concessive '虽然...但'.
蔑视困难是走向成功的必经之路。
Scorning difficulties is the only way to success.
Gerund-like use as subject.
这种公开的蔑视引起了外交风波。
This open contempt caused a diplomatic storm.
Political context.
他用蔑视的口吻谈论他的前任。
He spoke of his predecessor in a contemptuous tone.
Modifier '蔑视的口吻'.
我们必须根除这种对科学的蔑视。
We must root out this contempt for science.
Strong verb '根除'.
他的文学作品中流露出对庸俗的深切蔑视。
His literary works reveal a deep contempt for vulgarity.
Verb '流露出' (reveal/leak out).
这种对规则的蔑视实际上是对社会契约的破坏。
This contempt for rules is actually a destruction of the social contract.
Sophisticated analytical structure.
他骨子里透着一种对权贵的蔑视。
There is an innate contempt for the powerful in his very bones.
Idiomatic '骨子里透着'.
这种蔑视是精英阶层对大众的一种隔阂。
This contempt is a gap between the elite and the masses.
Sociological analysis.
他以蔑视一切的勇气挑战了旧有的制度。
With the courage to scorn everything, he challenged the old system.
Complex modifier '蔑视一切的'.
这种蔑视并非偶然，而是长期教育的结果。
This contempt is not accidental, but the result of long-term education.
Contrast '并非...而是'.
他在法庭上的蔑视行为导致了更严厉的判决。
His contemptuous behavior in court led to a harsher sentence.
Causal link.
这种对大自然的蔑视最终会让我们付出代价。
This contempt for nature will eventually make us pay a price.
Prophetic tone.
这种蔑视在某种程度上消解了权威的合法性。
This contempt, to some extent, dissolved the legitimacy of the authority.
Academic verb '消解' (dissolve/deconstruct).
他那近乎病态的蔑视源于童年的创伤。
His almost pathological contempt stems from childhood trauma.
Complex psychological modifier.
在这一语境下，蔑视不再是个人情绪，而是一种政治姿态。
In this context, contempt is no longer a personal emotion but a political stance.
Philosophical redefinition.
这种对客观规律的蔑视必然导致失败。
This contempt for objective laws will inevitably lead to failure.
Logical necessity '必然'.
他以一种极其优雅却又极其伤人的方式表达了蔑视。
He expressed contempt in an extremely elegant yet extremely hurtful way.
Contrastive adverbs.
这种蔑视是权力结构中不可或缺的一环。
This contempt is an indispensable link in the power structure.
Structuralist analysis.
他笔下的角色往往带着一种对命运的蔑视。
The characters under his pen often carry a contempt for fate.
Literary criticism.
这种对历史的蔑视使他们重蹈覆辙。
This contempt for history made them repeat the same mistakes.
Idiom '重蹈覆辙'.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
— To express contempt for something.
他对他人的建议表示蔑视。
— Strong contempt.
这种行为引起了公众强烈的蔑视。
— To carry a sense of contempt.
他说话时带有一种蔑视。
— Disdain and contempt (often paired).
他的脸上写满了不屑与蔑视。
— A contemptuous attitude.
我不喜欢你这种蔑视的态度。
— Silent contempt.
沉默有时是最高级的蔑视。
— Contempt in one's very bones/innate.
他有着一种骨子里的蔑视。
— Naked/obvious contempt.
这是对他赤裸裸的蔑视。
— To scorn everything.
他那蔑视一切的样子很讨人厌。
— To be scorned by others.
懒惰的人往往遭人蔑视。
Idioms & Expressions
— Arrogant and showing no respect.
他那傲慢不逊的态度让人反感。
Formal— To look down on everyone (eyes empty of everything).
他自以为是，目空一切。
Idiomatic— Insufferably arrogant, as if no one else exists in the world.
他赢了球就变得不可一世。
Idiomatic— To treat something important with contempt by speaking of it lightly.
他轻描淡写地提到了自己的过错。
Neutral— Not worth a glance; complete disdain.
他对这些小利不屑一顾。
Idiomatic— To regard something as worthless grass.
那个暴君将人命视若草芥。
Literary— Acting as if no one else is present (often out of arrogance).
他在图书馆大声说话，旁若无人。
Idiomatic— Extremely conceited (only I am supreme).
他这种唯我独尊的性格很难交到朋友。
Idiomatic— Arrogant and conceited.
狂妄自大的人终会失败。
Neutral— To snort with contempt; to give a snort of disdain.
他对我的建议嗤之以鼻。
IdiomaticWord Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine your 'eye' (目, part of 视) looking at something so 'small' (蔑) that you have to look down your nose at it. That 'downward' look is the fourth tone of 'miè'!
Visual Association
Imagine a tall giant looking down at a tiny ant with a mean face. The giant is '蔑视' the ant.
Word Web
Challenge
Try to say '蔑视' while tilting your head back and looking down your nose. The physical action matches the meaning.
Word Origin
The character '蔑' (miè) originally referred to small or thin things, or blood in the eye that obscures vision. Over time, it evolved to mean 'slighting' or 'ignoring.' The character '视' (shì) means to look or observe. Together, they form the concept of 'looking at something as if it were small.'
Original meaning: To regard as small or insignificant.
Sino-TibetanCultural Context
This is a highly negative word. Using it to describe a person can be very offensive and should be used with caution in social settings.
Similar to the English 'scorn' or 'contempt,' but often carries a more formal, literary weight than 'look down on.'
Summary
蔑视 (mièshì) is the ultimate 'looking down' word in Chinese. Use it when you want to describe a deep, often cold, sense of disdain or when someone treats rules or people as completely worthless. Example: '他蔑视一切权威' (He scorns all authority).
- 蔑视 (mièshì) means contempt or scorn, implying a strong sense of superiority and a total lack of respect for the object.
- It is a formal word often used in literature, legal contexts (contempt of court), and political discourse to describe serious disdain.
- Unlike 'ignore' (无视), 蔑视 is an active emotional rejection. It is stronger than 'underestimate' (轻视) and more formal than 'despise' (鄙视).
- Commonly used to describe attitudes toward laws, authority, enemies, or difficulties. It can be used both negatively (arrogance) and positively (bravery).
Related Content
More emotions words
有点
A1A little; somewhat; rather.
一点
A1A little; a bit; slightly.
可恶
A2Hateful; detestable; abominable.
心不在焉
A2Absent-minded; preoccupied.
接受地
A2Acceptingly; receptively.
成就感
B1Sense of achievement; fulfillment.
撒娇
A2To act like a spoiled child; to act cute.
上瘾
B1To be addicted to something.
沉迷
A2To be addicted to; to be engrossed in.
敬佩
B1Admiration; respect; reverence.
