Definition
装腔作势 is a four-character idiom (固定表达) that literally means 'put on a tone and strike a pose'. It describes someone who is deliberately pretentious, putting on airs or pretending to be more important than they are. You'll hear it in criticism — it implies the person's grand manner is fake and off-putting.
f.e.
to be affected or pretentiousto strike a pose
Examples
- 装腔作势，。Tā zài lǐngdǎo miànqián zǒngshì zhuāng qiāng zuō, ràng rén hěn bù shūfu.He always puts on airs in front of the leaders, which makes people very uncomfortable.
- 装腔作势，。Bié zhuāng qiāng zuō le, dàjiā dōu liǎojiě nǐ de zhēnshí shuǐpíng.Stop being pretentious — everyone knows your real level.
- 。Tā shuōhuà shí zhuāng qiāng zuō de yàngzi zhēn kěxiào.His affected manner when speaking is really ridiculous.
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