Chinese word

拙劣

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhuō liè

Meaning

  • adjectivepoor

Example

这次演讲的内容很拙劣。zhè cì yán jiǎng de nèi róng hěn zhuō liè

The content of this speech is very poor.

Illustration for 拙劣 (poor)

More examples

他的翻译非常拙劣，误解了原意。tā de fān yì fēi cháng zhuō liè wù jiě le yuán yì

His translation is very poor and misunderstands the original meaning.

Core concept

An attempt that is awkwardly made and turns out rough, weak, and below standard.

Common phrases

  • 拙劣的演讲zhuō liè de yán jiǎng

    poor speech

  • 拙劣的表演zhuō liè de biáo yǎn

    poor performance

  • 拙劣的翻译zhuō liè de fān yì

    poor translation

Similar words

差劲chà jìn: Describes ability, work, or results that are plainly poor or inadequate.
糟糕zāo gāo: Describes something very bad in result or appearance, often leaving an unpleasant impression.
低劣dī liè: Describes quality or standards that are low, with little value or dignity.
粗劣cū liè: Describes products or work made roughly, with little care or precision.

Definition in Chinese

表示某种行为、表演或物品既笨拙又粗劣，强调欠缺技巧与质量。biǎo shì móu zhǒng xíng wéi biáo yǎn huò wù pǐn jì bèn zhuō yòu cū liè qiáng diào qiàn quē jì qiǎo yǔ zhì liàng

Word origin

拙 (zhuō, "clumsy") + 劣 (liè, "inferior") combines awkward technique with an inferior result, giving the word its criticism of poor workmanship.

Usage tips

  • This adjective usually evaluates a speech, product, performance, or piece of work rather than a person's character, making criticism of a result more natural than a label for its maker.

Other meanings

  • clumsyadjective
  • immatureadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word