厉兵秣马 — “To sharpen weapons and feed horses”
厉兵秣马 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to sharpen weapons and feed horses”. To make thorough preparations for an upcoming task, challenge, or competition, especially a battle. Literally, “Sharpen weapons, feed horses”.
厉兵秣马 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 厉lì
- 兵bīng
- 秣mò
- 马mǎ
厉兵秣马 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 厉兵秣马
Origin and Story of 厉兵秣马
During the Spring and Autumn period, the states of Qin and Jin launched a joint attack on Zheng. Zheng sent its minister, Zhuzhiwu, to forge a separate alliance with Qin.
According to the agreement, Qin's forces, led by Qizi, Fengsun, and Yangsun, were stationed in Zheng, and Qin's main army withdrew.
Later, Qizi secretly sent a messenger back to Duke Mu of Qin, urging him to deploy troops again. When the Qin army mounted a large-scale invasion,
a Zheng merchant named Xiangao pretended to be an envoy and warned Qin, implying Zheng was well-prepared. Realizing their surprise attack was compromised, the Qin army was compelled to change its target and attacked the state of Hua instead.
Idioms Related to 厉兵秣马
Antonyms of 厉兵秣马
More idioms starting with 厉
Questions about 厉兵秣马
- What does 厉兵秣马 mean?
- 厉兵秣马 (lì bīng mò mǎ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to sharpen weapons and feed horses”.
- How do you pronounce 厉兵秣马?
- 厉兵秣马 is pronounced lì bīng mò mǎ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 厉兵秣马 literally mean?
- Literally, 厉兵秣马 means “Sharpen weapons, feed horses”. It is used to mean “to sharpen weapons and feed horses”.
- Where does 厉兵秣马 come from?
- 厉兵秣马 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 厉兵秣马?
- 厉：同“砺”，磨；兵：兵器；秣：喂牲口。磨好兵器，喂好马。形容准备战斗。