望风披靡 — “To be routed without a fight”
望风披靡 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be routed without a fight”. To collapse or flee at the mere sight of an opponent's formidable presence; to be defeated without resistance. Literally, “To gaze at the wind and fall prostrate; to bend to the wind upon seeing it”.
望风披靡 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 望wàng
- 风fēng
- 披pī
- 靡mǐ
望风披靡 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 望风披靡
Origin and Story of 望风披靡
During the Western Han Dynasty, the litterateur Sima Xiangru wrote "Shanglin Fu" (Rhapsody on the Imperial Park). In this work, he created two fictional characters, Master Zixu of Chu and Master Wuyou of Qi, whose elaborate discussions vividly depicted the grandeur and prosperity of the Crown Prince's Imperial Park.
The Shanglin Park was immense, with eight rivers ceaselessly flowing and countless rare birds and beasts inhabiting it. Flowers, grasses, and trees were everywhere, and the vegetation swayed and undulated with the wind, resembling waves in a vast ocean.
Idioms Related to 望风披靡
Synonyms of 望风披靡
Antonyms of 望风披靡
More idioms starting with 望
- wàng望yún云zhī之qíng情longing for one's parents
- wàng望qí其jiān肩bèi背to be able to rival or catch up
- wàng望qí其jiān肩xiàng项to be able to compete with someone
- wàng望qí其xiàng项bèi背to be able to catch up with
- wàng望zi子chéng成míng名hope for one's child to be famous
- wàng望zǐ子chéng成lóng龙hope children succeed
- wàng望chén尘bù不jí及too inferior to catch up
- wàng望chén尘piào僄shēng声believe rumors readily
- wàng望chén尘bēn奔běi北flee in disarray at enemy sight
- wàng望chén尘bēn奔kuì溃flee in disarray at enemy's approach
- wàng望chén尘bài拜fú伏kowtow to someone's every whim
- wàng望chén尘ér而bài拜bow at the dust of a powerful person
Questions about 望风披靡
- What does 望风披靡 mean?
- 望风披靡 (wàng fēng pī mǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be routed without a fight”.
- How do you pronounce 望风披靡?
- 望风披靡 is pronounced wàng fēng pī mǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 望风披靡 literally mean?
- Literally, 望风披靡 means “to gaze at the wind and fall prostrate; to bend to the wind upon seeing it”. It is used to mean “to be routed without a fight”.
- Where does 望风披靡 come from?
- 望风披靡 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 望风披靡?
- 披靡：草木随风倒伏。草一遇到风就倒伏了。比喻军队毫无斗志，老远看到对方的气势很盛，没有交锋就溃散了。