Meaning
憎恶 expresses a strong feeling of hatred or disgust toward someone or something. It conveys deep moral or emotional repulsion, stronger than simple dislike (不喜欢) and more formal than everyday expressions of hatred. This is a literary and formal term often used in written Chinese or serious discourse.
Usage
憎恶 is primarily found in formal writing, news reports, and literary contexts. In everyday conversation, speakers more commonly use 讨厌 (to dislike/find annoying) or 恨 (to hate). When used, 憎恶 emphasizes moral indignation or profound revulsion toward behavior, phenomena, or people.
Examples
- 01人们普遍憎恶这种不道德的行为。.People generally detest this kind of immoral behavior.
- 02她憎恶一切形式的暴力和欺凌。.She abhors all forms of violence and bullying.
Characters
Common collocations
- 深恶痛绝to hate bitterly and reject completely (idiom)
- 憎恶犯罪to abhor crime
- 令人憎恶to make people detest (it)
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to hatred and aversion. 憎 contains the heart radical (忄) indicating emotion, while 恶 (惡) means both evil and hatred. Together they form a compound emphasizing intense moral disgust.