Definition
白眼 literally means 'white eye' — the part of the eye visible when you roll your eyes. It refers to a cold, dismissive expression that shows contempt or disdain. You often encounter it in fixed expressions like 遭白眼 (to be treated with contempt) and 翻白眼 (to roll one's eyes). Giving someone a 白眼 is a very rude non-verbal insult in Chinese culture.
n.
supercilious lookdisdaincontempt
Examples
- 白眼，。Tā zāodào tóngshì de bái yǎn, xīnli hěn bù shūfu.He was treated with contempt by his colleagues and felt very uncomfortable.
- 白眼，。Tā shuōhuà shí yìzhí fān bái yǎn, ràng rén juéde hěn méi lǐmào.She kept rolling her eyes while speaking, which made her seem very rude.
- 白眼，。Tā kàn wǒ de yǎnshén chōngmǎn le bái yǎn, ràng wǒ hěn nánshòu.The look in his eyes was full of contempt, which made me very uncomfortable.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.