Chinese (Mandarin) slang
摆烂
bǎi làn
To give up and let things get worse on purpose, because it's hopeless anyway.
- Literally:
- 摆 to set out / display + 烂 rotten, a mess
How it's used
摆烂 is like 躺平 with an extra shrug: things are already going badly, so you stop trying to fix them. It's used about exams, diets, projects — even sports teams tanking a season. It's casual and self-mocking when said about yourself, and critical when said about someone else.
Examples
明天就考试了，我还一页没看，干脆摆烂吧。
Míngtiān jiù kǎoshì le, wǒ hái yí yè méi kàn, gāncuì bǎilàn ba.
The exam's tomorrow and I haven't read a single page — might as well just give up.
这个项目已经没救了，老板也开始摆烂了。
Zhège xiàngmù yǐjīng méi jiù le, lǎobǎn yě kāishǐ bǎilàn le.
This project is beyond saving; even the boss has stopped trying.