拒人千里 — “To keep people at arm's length”
拒人千里 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep people at arm's length”. To be aloof and unapproachable, often due to arrogance. Literally, “Reject people a thousand li away”.
Frequency
拒人千里 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 拒jù
- 人rén
- 千qiān
- 里lǐ
拒人千里 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 拒人千里
她的冷淡常常让人觉得拒人千里，难以接近。
Her coldness often makes people feel she's keeping them at arm's length, making her difficult to approach.
Origin and Story of 拒人千里
During the Warring States period, Duke Ping of Lu planned to appoint Lezheng Zi, a student of Mencius, to manage state affairs. Mencius was overjoyed.
Gongsun Chou asked Mencius if Lezheng Zi was truly capable.
Mencius replied that Lezheng Zi was not as good as Gongsun Chou in terms of ability, knowledge, or insights. However, his strength was his kindness towards people; he would not 'keep people a thousand li away.' Many people gathered around him, and with such a quality, he could govern the state well.
Idioms Related to 拒人千里
Synonyms of 拒人千里
Antonyms of 拒人千里
Questions about 拒人千里
- What does 拒人千里 mean?
- 拒人千里 (jù rén qiān lǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep people at arm's length”.
- How do you pronounce 拒人千里?
- 拒人千里 is pronounced jù rén qiān lǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 拒人千里 literally mean?
- Literally, 拒人千里 means “Reject people a thousand li away”. It is used to mean “to keep people at arm's length”.
- Where does 拒人千里 come from?
- 拒人千里 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 拒人千里?
- 形容对人态度傲慢。