自弃 is a compound verb meaning 'to abandon oneself' or 'to give up hope in one’s own future or potential.' The first character 自 (zì) means 'self,' and the second character 弃 (qì) means 'to discard, abandon, or forsake.' Together, they express a deep psychological state—not just passive resignation, but an active internal rejection of one’s worth, effort, or possibility of change. It often implies moral or spiritual decline, and appears frequently in classical and modern literary, philosophical, or motivational contexts.

This term carries strong negative connotations and is rarely used lightly. It suggests more than ordinary discouragement; it reflects a loss of agency and self-respect. While similar to 'despair' or 'hopelessness,' 自弃 emphasizes personal responsibility—the subject chooses (or allows) their own abandonment. It's commonly found in advice against surrendering to hardship, in discussions about mental resilience, or in critiques of apathy and self-neglect.