冷漠 (lěng mò) — cold and indifferent; lacking warmth or concern | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A steady, person-directed coldness — aloof and uncaring toward others. Stronger and more heartless than 冷淡 (cool/impolite), less cruel than 冷酷 (callous).

adjective

cold and indifferentlacking warmth or concern

Examples

冷漠。
Tā duì mò shēng rén zǒng shì hěn lěng mò.
He is always very cold toward strangers.
冷漠。
Tā lěng mò de yǎn shén ràng wǒ jué de hěn shī wàng.
Her indifferent look made me feel very disappointed.
冷漠。
Wǒ men bù néng duì huán bǎo wèn tí lěng mò bù guǎn.
We cannot be indifferent about environmental issues.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

漠mòindifferent

冷 and 漠 both suggest lack of warmth, together meaning indifferent.

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.

冫令冷

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.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

莫

莫mò漠mò

Same sound today

漠 pairs 水 (water) with 莫 as the sound part. The water part shows the meaning is connected to water.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Personality & Traits

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.