窃笑 (qiè xiào) — to snicker, to chuckle secretly (often used in literary or formal contexts)
Definition
Literary/formal verb for snickering or laughing secretly to oneself — close to 嘲笑 but 窃笑 is covert (laughing up one's sleeve), while 嘲笑 is open and mocking. Always implies the laughter is hidden from the target.
verb
to snickerto chuckle secretly (often used in literary or formal contexts)
Examples
- ，窃笑。Kàn dào tā de zī shì, tā rěn bú zhù qiè xiào qǐ lái.Seeing his posture, she couldn't help but snicker.
- ，窃笑。Lǎo shī zài jiǎng yán sù de shì qing, tā què zài nà lǐ qiè xiào.The teacher was talking about serious matters, but he was snickering over there.
- 窃笑。Tā duǒ zài jiǎo luò tōu tōu qiè xiào.She hid in the corner and snickered secretly.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.