冷眼旁观

冷眼旁觀
lěngyǎnpángguān
idiom #29,622

Meanings

  1. 1 to observe with cold detachment
  2. 2 to look on with indifference
  3. 3 to be an aloof bystander

Examples

Tā duì tóngshì de kùnjìng lěngyǎnpángguān, méiyǒu shēnchū yuánshǒu.
He watched his colleague's plight with cold detachment and offered no help.
Wǒmen bù néng duì shèhuì de bù gōngzhèng xiànxiàng lěngyǎnpángguān.
We cannot stand by indifferently in the face of social injustice.

Tips

usage
This idiom often carries a negative connotation — the bystander could help but chooses not to. It can also mean to observe something critically from a detached vantage point.

Stroke Order

lěng
yǎn
páng
guān