懈怠 (xiè dài) — to be slack, lazy, or negligent (in effort or duty)

Definition

A formal adjective meaning 'slack, negligent' in effort or duty — used in written or official contexts about work or study, not casual laziness. Collocates with 职守, 公务, and similar formal duty nouns.

adjective
to be slacklazyor negligent (in effort or duty)

Examples

  • 懈怠，。
    Tā zuì jìn gōng zuò hěn xiè dài, jīng cháng chí dào zǎo tuì.
    He's been slack at work lately, often arriving late and leaving early.
  • 懈怠，。
    Xué xí bù néng xiè dài, yào jiān chí měi tiān fù xí.
    You can't be negligent in your studies; you need to persist in reviewing every day.
  • 懈怠。
    Tā yīn wèi xiè dài zhí shǒu bèi gōng sī pī píng le.
    He was criticized by the company for neglecting his duties.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

懈xièslack
怠dàilazy

懈 and 怠 both mean slack or lazy, so together they express negligence or lack of effort.

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
解
解jiě懈xiè
Same sound today

懈 combines 忄, a shortened form of 心 (heart), with 解, which gives the sound.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái怠dài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 怠, the bottom 心 is heart, and 台 gives the sound.

Open 怠 →

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