清高 (qīng gāo) — morally lofty, refusing to compromise one's principles with worldly matters; (sometimes derogatory) self-righteously aloof, looking down on ordinary pursuits
Definition
Describes someone morally pure and unwilling to bend to worldly or political pressures — often a quiet virtue, but can shade into looking down on others. Two-edged: admirable in a scholar, aloof in a friend.
adjective
morally loftyrefusing to compromise one's principles with worldly matters(sometimes derogatory) self-righteously alooflooking down on ordinary pursuits
Examples
- 清高，。Tā zhè ge rén tài qīng gāo, bú yuàn yì gēn wǒ men lái wǎng.He's too aloof — not willing to socialize with us.
- 清高，。Suī rán tā xìng gé qīng gāo, dàn dà jiā dōu jìng pèi tā de zhèng zhí.Although she has an aloof personality, everyone admires her integrity.
- 清高，。Gǔ dài wén rén cháng cháng yǐ qīng gāo zì jū, bú yuàn cān yù guān chǎng dòu zhēng.Ancient literati often regarded themselves as lofty and detached, unwilling to take part in court intrigues.
Appears in
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