望尘不及 — “To be left far behind”
望尘不及 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be left far behind”. To be too inferior to catch up or compare; beyond reach. Literally, “To gaze at the dust and not reach”.
望尘不及 Pronunciation and Pinyin
望尘不及 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 望尘不及
Origin and Story of 望尘不及
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhao Zi, the Administrator of Dunhuang, recommended Cao Hao to serve as the Magistrate of Xingyang County.
Later, when Zhao Zi was transferred to Donghai and passed through Xingyang, Cao Hao and his subordinates waited at a junction to greet him, hoping to persuade him to stay for a temporary rest. However, Zhao Zi, wishing not to cause any trouble or disturbance, did not stop. His carriage quickly sped past.
Cao Hao intended to escort him further, perhaps to the Ten-Mile Long Pavilion just outside the city. But even by the time Cao Hao reached the pavilion, Zhao Zi's carriage had already vanished far into the distance, leaving Cao Hao completely unable to catch up, as if gazing at the dust it left behind but never reaching it.
Idioms Related to 望尘不及
Synonyms of 望尘不及
Antonyms of 望尘不及
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
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Open the tool →Questions about 望尘不及
What does 望尘不及 mean?
望尘不及 (wàng chén bù jí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be left far behind”.
How do you pronounce 望尘不及?
望尘不及 is pronounced wàng chén bù jí in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 望尘不及 literally mean?
Literally, 望尘不及 means “to gaze at the dust and not reach”. It is used to mean “to be left far behind”.
Where does 望尘不及 come from?
望尘不及 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 望尘不及?
比喻远远落在后面。同“望尘莫及”。