消遣

xiāo qiǎn

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Uncommon

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Definitions

1. to while the time away
2. amusement
3. pastime
4. recreation
5. to make sport of

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Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 消磨 xiāo mó 消磨 xiāo mó to wear down Both involve passing time, but 消磨 often carries a nuance of killing time aimlessly.: to wear down
• 排遣 pái qiǎn 排遣 pái qiǎn to divert oneself from (loneliness, grief etc) Both imply dispelling negative feelings; 排遣 focuses on driving away loneliness or boredom.: to divert oneself from (loneliness, grief etc)

Synonyms

2 items

• 娱乐 yú lè 娱乐 yú lè to entertain As a pastime or recreational activity, 消遣 and 娱乐 can be used interchangeably.: to entertain
• 戏弄 xì nòng 戏弄 xì nòng to play tricks on When meaning 'to make sport of', 消遣 can be synonymous with 戏弄.: to play tricks on

Usage notes

Collocations

消遣 is often used in the pattern 消遣时光 or as a noun in 一种消遣.

Common mistakes

When meaning 'to pass time in a leisurely way', 消遣 is intransitive and cannot take a direct object like *消遣时间; use 消磨时间 instead.

Example Sentences

1 shown

我喜欢看书作为 消遣 。

I like reading as a pastime.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 消遣

• 消 消 xiāo: to diminish; to subside
• 遣 遣 qiǎn: (bound form) to dispatch; to send