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恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物
恃才傲物

恃才傲物 — “Presume upon one's talent and disdain others”

恃才傲物 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be arrogant and look down on others because of one's own talents or abilities; conceited due to one's gifts”. Literally, “presume upon one's talent and disdain others”.

Frequency

恃才傲物 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 恃shì
  • 才cái
  • 傲ào
  • 物wù

恃才傲物 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
恃
shì9rely on; presume upon
才
cái3ability, talent, only then
傲
ào12proud, arrogant, haughty
物
wù8thing, matter, creature, object

Example Sentence with 恃才傲物

他虽然在专业领域很有成就,但由于恃才傲物,很少有人愿意主动与他交流合作。
Although he has achieved a lot in his professional field, because of his arrogance stemming from his talents, few people are willing to initiate communication and collaboration with him.

Origin and Story of 恃才傲物

During the Southern Dynasties, Xiao Zixian, the nephew of Emperor Wu of Qi, was exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted from a young age.

While serving as a Grand Tutor (Guozi Boshi) in the Liang dynasty, he used Emperor Wu of Liang's work 'Jing Yi' as a textbook for teaching at the Imperial Academy. He authored 'Book of Later Han' in 100 volumes and 'History of Qi' in 60 volumes.

He earned deep trust from Emperor Wu of Liang. However, Emperor Wu of Liang perceived him as '恃才傲物' (presuming upon his talent and being arrogant). After Xiao Zixian's death, Emperor Wu posthumously bestowed upon him the title 'Jiao' (骄), meaning 'proud' or 'arrogant'.

Idioms Related to 恃才傲物

Antonyms of 恃才傲物

  • qiān谦xū虚jǐn谨shèn慎humble and cautious

More idioms starting with 恃

  • shì恃yǒng勇qīng轻dí敌overconfident due to bravery and underestimate opponent
  • shì恃qiáng强zhēng争bà霸contend for dominance by relying on strength
  • shì恃qiáng强yǐ倚chǒng宠presume on power and patronage
  • shì恃qiáng强líng凌ruò弱bully the weak
  • shì恃qiáng强qī欺ruò弱bully the weak with power
  • shì恃cái才yáng扬jǐ己flaunt one's talent
  • shì恃cái才fàng放kuàng旷presume on talent and be uninhibited
  • shì恃cái才jīn矜jǐ己conceited and arrogant due to talent

Questions about 恃才傲物

What does 恃才傲物 mean?
恃才傲物 (shì cái ào wù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be arrogant and look down on others because of one's own talents or abilities; conceited due to one's gifts”.
How do you pronounce 恃才傲物?
恃才傲物 is pronounced shì cái ào wù in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 恃才傲物 literally mean?
Literally, 恃才傲物 means “presume upon one's talent and disdain others”. It is used to mean “to be arrogant and look down on others because of one's own talents or abilities; conceited due to one's gifts”.
Where does 恃才傲物 come from?
恃才傲物 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 恃才傲物?
恃:依靠、凭借;物:人,公众。仗着自己有才能,看不起人。
Copy the pinyin for 恃才傲物 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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