cau2 taai3 baak3 ceot1醜態百出丑态百出

Jyutpingcau2 taai3 baak3 ceot1

Yalecháu taai baak chēut

Definition

To make a fool of oneself; to repeatedly make a spectacle of oneself by acting ridiculously.

colloquialemotionpeople

How it's used

This idiom describes someone behaving in a way that is socially unacceptable or ridiculous, often due to a loss of self-control. It carries a strong sense of judgment and is typically used to criticize someone's lack of decorum. While it can be used in various contexts, it frequently appears in discussions about drunken behavior or public outbursts.

Examples

keoi5佢jam2飲zeoi3醉zo2咗zi1之hau6後cau2醜taai3態baak3百ceot1出，zan1真hai6係hou2好gaam3尷gaai3尬。

He made a complete fool of himself after getting drunk, it was so embarrassing.

nei5你喺hai2公gung1眾zung3場coeng4合hap6醜cau2態taai3百baak3出，ceot1唔m4驚geng1畀bei2人jan4笑siu3咩？

Aren't you afraid of being laughed at for making a fool of yourself in public?

Common phrases

zeoi3醉dou3到cau2醜taai3態baak3百ceot1出

so drunk that one makes a complete fool of oneself

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a simple adjective describing someone who is ugly, but it specifically refers to the act of displaying shameful or embarrassing behavior. It is a formal idiom used within colloquial speech, so it sounds quite heavy and dramatic compared to simpler phrases like 丟架.