嫌弃 is a compound verb meaning 'to disdain and reject'—a stronger, more emotionally charged expression than simple dislike. The first character 嫌 (xián) conveys suspicion, distaste, or finding something unacceptable; the second character 弃 (qì) means 'to abandon' or 'to discard'. Together, they express not just disapproval but active rejection based on perceived flaws, inferiority, or social mismatch—often involving judgment about appearance, status, origin, or behavior.

This word frequently appears in interpersonal contexts: family conflicts (e.g., parents rejecting a child’s partner), workplace bias (e.g., age- or disability-based exclusion), or societal prejudice (e.g., against stray animals or rural migrants). It carries moral weight and often implies unfairness or shallow values. While grammatically it functions as a transitive verb, it’s rarely used in formal writing and appears most commonly in spoken Mandarin and narrative prose to highlight emotional tension or social critique.