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冷嘲热讽 (lěng cháo rè fěng) — to mock with biting sarcasm; bitter and sarcastic remarks

Definition

An idiom for 'biting sarcasm' — cold mockery and hot ridicule together, stronger than a single joke or tease. Often used for sustained, hostile verbal attacks (e.g. in an article or workplace).

idiom
to mock with biting sarcasmbitter and sarcastic remarks

Examples

  • 冷嘲热讽，。
    Tā shòu bù liǎo tóng shì de lěng cháo rè fěng, zhōng yú cí zhí le.
    He couldn't stand his colleague's biting sarcasm and finally resigned.
  • 冷嘲热讽，，。
    Miàn duì lěng cháo rè fěng, tā zhǐ shì xiào le xiào, méi yǒu shuō huà.
    Faced with the sarcastic remarks, she just smiled and said nothing.
  • 冷嘲热讽。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng chōng mǎn le duì xiàn shí de lěng cháo rè fěng.
    This article is full of bitter satire about reality.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

冷嘲cold mockery
冷lěngcold嘲cháomock
偏正Modifier + head
热讽hot satire
热rèhot讽fěngsatirize
偏正Modifier + head

cold mocking and hot satirizing combine to express biting sarcasm.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng冷lěng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Open 冷 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
朝
朝cháo嘲cháo
Same sound today

嘲 pairs 口, the mouth, with 朝 as a sound part. The mouth part relates to the meaning.

Open 嘲 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 諷; 讽 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
風
風fēng諷fěng
Same sound today

The traditional form 諷 uses 言 (speech) for the meaning and 風 for the sound. The simplified 讽 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 讽 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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