声誉 (shēng yù) is a formal noun meaning 'reputation' — the collective opinion or esteem in which a person, organization, or entity is held by others. It combines 声 (shēng), meaning 'sound' or 'voice', and 誉 (yù), meaning 'praise' or 'honor'. Together, they evoke the idea of 'a voice of praise' — reflecting how public perception spreads through word-of-mouth and shared judgment. Unlike casual terms like 名气 (míngqì, 'fame'), 声誉 carries strong connotations of trustworthiness, integrity, and moral standing.

This word is commonly used in professional, academic, legal, and institutional contexts — for example, when discussing a company’s credibility, a scholar’s scholarly standing, or a hospital’s public trust. It often appears in written Chinese (news reports, official documents, formal speeches) and rarely in informal spoken conversation. Positive reputation is frequently paired with words like 良好 (liáng hǎo, 'good') or 卓越 (zhuó yuè, 'outstanding'), while damage to reputation is expressed as 损害声誉 (sǔn hài shēng yù, 'to harm one’s reputation').