避雷

bìléi

verb

Meanings

1 (internet slang) to steer clear of (a bad product, restaurant, show, etc.); to warn others away from
2 (literal) to avoid lightning

Characters

thunder; (slang) dud, bad experience

Examples

这家火锅店真的要避雷,又贵又难吃。

Zhè jiā huǒguō diàn zhēn de yào bìléi, yòu guì yòu nánchī.

You really should avoid this hotpot place, it's expensive and bad.

小红书上全是避雷帖。

Xiǎohóngshū shàng quán shì bìléi tiě.

Xiaohongshu is full of 'avoid-this' posts.

避雷这家民宿!环境和照片完全不一样。

Bìléi zhè jiā mínsù! Huánjìng hé zhàopiàn wánquán bù yíyàng.

Stay away from this guesthouse! The setting looks nothing like the photos.

Tips

culture

Opposite of 种草 'planting the grass' (recommending a product that makes you want to buy it). 避雷帖 'avoidance posts' and 踩雷 'stepping on a landmine' (getting burned) form a tight slang cluster on Xiaohongshu, Dianping and Douyin.

memory

Literally 'avoid lightning' — think of 避雷针 'lightning rod'. Online, the lightning bolt becomes any dud product or bad experience.

Stroke Order

避 bì

雷 léi