Meaning
炫耀 means to deliberately display one's possessions, abilities, or achievements in order to impress others or gain admiration. It carries a negative connotation, suggesting vanity or excessive pride. The word combines the idea of dazzling display (炫) with showing openly (耀).
Usage
This verb is typically used in disapproving contexts when describing someone who is showing off wealth, talent, knowledge, or status in an ostentatious way. It's commonly used with objects like 财富 (wealth), 才华 (talent), or 成就 (achievements). Native speakers use it more in written language or formal speech than casual conversation.
Examples
- 01他总是在朋友面前炫耀自己的新车。.He always shows off his new car in front of his friends.
- 02真正有才华的人不需要炫耀。.Truly talented people don't need to show off.
Characters
Common collocations
- 炫耀财富to show off one's wealth
- 炫耀自己to show off oneself
- 到处炫耀to show off everywhere
- 喜欢炫耀to like showing off
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to brightness and display. 炫 originally meant dazzling light that confuses the eyes, while 耀 means to shine brightly. Together they emphasize ostentatious display.