---
title: "Zaogao Meaning: 糟糕 (zāogāo) Means “terrible”"
description: "糟糕 (zāogāo) means “terrible; bad”. Hear its tones, see what 糟 and 糕 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/zaogao"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 糟糕 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

糟糕 zāogāo

## terrible; bad

## It can also mean

- oh no; damn

## Its characters

1. 糟 zāo in a mess
2. 糕 gāo cake

## In a sentence

今天的天气真糟糕。 The weather today is terrible.

这就是成语“东施效颦”，意思是不看自己的条件，只会模仿别人，结果反而更**糟糕**。

From [西施 · Xi Shi, the first of the Four Beauties](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/xi-shi-four-beauties-of-china#library-word-390-392)

[More about 糟糕](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%B3%9F%E7%B3%95)

## More words with 糟 or 糕

- [蛋糕 dàngāo](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dangao)

## Keep 糟糕 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

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