Chinese word

高调

Pronunciation

Pinyingāo diào

Meaning

  • adjectiveconspicuous

Example

她喜欢高调打扮。tā xǐ huān gāo diào dǎ bàn

She likes to dress conspicuously.

Illustration for 高调 (conspicuous)

More examples

记者说这位明星总爱高调炒作私事。jì zhě shuō zhè wèi míng xīng zǒng ài gāo diào chǎo zuò sī shì

The reporter said this star always likes to sensationalize private matters.

Core concept

A person or presentation turns its presence up like a loud signal, demanding notice through an exaggerated public style.

Common phrases

  • 高调打扮gāo diào dǎ bàn

    dress conspicuously

  • 高调宣布gāo diào xuān bù

    announce with fanfare

  • 高调炒作gāo diào chǎo zuò

    sensationalize

Similar words

显眼xián yǎn: Noticeable at once because of an appearance or movement that stands out.
醒目xǐng mù: Easy to see because of a bold, clear color or shape.
惹眼ré yǎn: Eye-catching because of a noticeable appearance or style of dress.
浮夸fú kuā: Excessively flashy because the expression or decoration is exaggerated.

Definition in Chinese

故意通过言行、打扮或宣传提高自己的存在感以吸引他人注意，常含夸张或炫耀的意味，可作形容词或副词。gù yì tōng guò yán xíng dǎ bàn huò xuān chuán tí gāo zì jǐ de cún zài gǎn yǐ xī yǐn tā rén zhù yì cháng hán kuā zhāng huò xuàn yào de yì wèi kě zuò xíng róng cí huò fù cí

Word origin

高 (gāo, "high") + 调 (diào, "tone or manner") forms the image of raising one's tone or manner until it becomes conspicuous.

Usage tips

  • The word often carries criticism, so it can describe showy behavior without saying that the style is simply attractive or well designed.

Other meanings

  • flashyadjective
  • exaggeratedadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 高调地gāo diào dìconspicuouslyadverb

Word lists with this word