齿冷

齒冷
chǐlěng
verb

Meanings

  1. 1 to sneer at
  2. 2 to laugh at scornfully

Examples

HSK 7-9
Tā de suǒzuòsuǒwéi lìngrén chǐlěng.
His behavior makes people sneer in contempt.
HSK 7-9
Zhèzhǒng xūwěi de tàidu zhēn jiào rén chǐlěng.
This kind of hypocritical attitude truly invites scorn.

Tips

history
Literally 'teeth cold'. The image: opening your mouth in scornful laughter so long that your teeth grow cold. The classical phrase 令人齿冷 ('makes one's teeth go cold') comes from the History of the Southern Qi (《南齐书》) and is the standard frame today.
register
Literary and written. Almost always in the fixed pattern 令人齿冷 or 为人所齿冷. You'll see it in essays and editorials, rarely in casual speech.

Stroke Order

齿 chǐ
冷 lěng