Definition
顶撞 means to speak back to someone in authority – a parent, elder, boss, or teacher – in a sharp, defiant way that shows disrespect. The word carries a strong negative judgment; in Chinese culture, maintaining harmony and showing deference to superiors is valued, so 顶撞 implies not just contradicting but doing so with a rude or confrontational tone. It is stronger than 反驳 (to refute) and is almost always used critically.
v.
to talk back to or contradict (a superior/elder) in a disrespectful manner
Examples
- 顶撞。Háizi bù néng suíbiàn dǐng zhuàng fùmǔ.Children shouldn't casually talk back to their parents.
- 顶撞。Tā yīnwèi dǐng zhuàng lǎobǎn bèi kāichú le.He was fired for talking back to the boss.
- 顶撞。Xuéshēng zhèyàng dǐng zhuàng lǎoshī shì bú duì de.It's wrong for a student to talk back to the teacher like that.
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