HSK · Level 92
45 words
Chinese word
无情无义
Pronunciation
Pinyinwú qíng wú yì
Meaning
- idiomheartless
Example
他这么做太无情无义了。tā zhè me zuò tài wú qíng wú yì le
What he did was so heartless.
More examples
面对朋友的困难，他竟然无情无义地离开了。miàn duì péng yǒu de kùn nán tā jìng rán wú qíng wú yì dì lí kāi le
When faced with his friend's troubles, he heartlessly walked away.
Core concept
A cold heart that ignores both human feeling and bonds of loyalty.
Common phrases
对他无情无义duì tā wú qíng wú yì
be cruel to him
显得无情无义xiǎn de wú qíng wú yì
appear heartless
表现得无情无义biǎo xiàn de wú qíng wú yì
behave heartlessly
Similar words
冷酷无情lěng kù wú qíng: Being cold and unfeeling while treating people in a cruel way.
铁石心肠tiě shí xīn cháng: Being so hard-hearted that other people's emotions cannot move the person.
忘恩负义wàng ēn fù yì: Failing to remember or repay kindness received from others.
冷若冰霜lěng ruò bīng shuāng: Showing an extremely cold manner that feels distant and unwelcoming.
Definition in Chinese
缺乏同情心和义气，对他人冷酷，不顾感情与道义。quē fá tóng qíng xīn hé yì qì duì tā rén lěng kù bú gù gǎn qíng yǔ dào yì
Word origin
无情 (wúqíng, "without feeling") joined with 无义 (wúyì, "without loyalty") makes the idiom's repeated structure emphasize a complete lack of warmth and loyalty.
Usage tips
- This idiom is a strong accusation about a person's conduct or character, so using it for a small social mistake can make the criticism sound much harsher than intended.
Other meanings
- ungratefulidiom
Opposites
- 重情重义zhòng qíng zhòng yìbe warm-hearted and loyalidiom
- 有情有义yǒu qíng yǒu yìbe kind and loyalidiom