Meaning
无耻 literally means 'without shame' and describes behavior or people who act shamelessly, brazenly, or without any sense of moral decency. It's a strong negative term used to condemn immoral, unethical, or disgraceful conduct. The word carries significant moral weight and expresses deep disapproval.
Usage
This is a fairly strong criticism in Mandarin and is used to condemn serious moral failings, not minor social mistakes. It appears frequently in formal writing, news commentary, and serious discussions about ethics. In everyday speech, it's used when someone is truly outraged by another's behavior. Common in phrases like 无耻之徒 (shameless person) or 厚颜无耻 (utterly shameless).
Examples
- 01他居然撒谎欺骗老人的钱，真是无耻！, !He actually lied to cheat an elderly person out of their money—how shameless!
- 02这种无耻的行为必须受到法律的严惩。.This kind of shameless behavior must be severely punished by law.
Characters
Common collocations
- 无耻之徒shameless person
- 厚颜无耻utterly shameless, brazen-faced
- 无耻行为shameless behavior
- 无耻的谎言shameless lie
Antonyms
Origin
The character 耻 (shame) combines the ear radical 耳 with 心 (heart), suggesting the shame one feels when hearing criticism. 无耻 as a compound has been used in Classical Chinese for centuries to describe those who lack a sense of shame.