下马作威 — “Dismount and show one's authority”
下马作威 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to assert one's authority or establish dominance immediately upon arrival or taking up a new position, often by acting sternly or punishing someone severely as a warning to others; to make an impressive display of one's power from the outset”. Literally, “Dismount and show one's authority”.
下马作威 Pronunciation and Pinyin
下马作威 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 下马作威
Origin and Story of 下马作威
During the Western Han Dynasty, Ban Bo, a young nobleman from a powerful family, volunteered to become the Grand Administrator of Dingxiang, a region plagued by chaos.
Upon his arrival, the local gentry and powerful clans hid all those who had committed crimes.
However, Ban Bo, immediately after taking office, hosted grand banquets for these prominent families, befriending them. Once he learned the whereabouts of the criminals, he promptly ordered their arrest and execution. Dingxiang soon became peaceful.
Idioms Related to 下马作威
Synonyms of 下马作威
More idioms starting with 下
- xià下bù不wéi为lì例not to be repeated
- xià下bu不liǎo了tái台unable to extricate oneself from an embarrassing situation
- xià下bù不lái来tái台unable to save face in public
- xià下lín临wú无dì地bottomless drop from a great height
- xià下lín临wú无jì际looking down upon a boundless depth
- xià下qiáo乔rù入yōu幽descend from good to bad
- xià下qiáo乔mù木rù入yōu幽gǔ谷descend from good to bad situation
- xià下qiáo乔qiān迁gǔ谷decline from prosperity to adversity
- xià下jǐng井tóu投shí石harm someone already in trouble
- xià下huí回fēn分jiě解To be continued
- xià下bǎn坂zǒu走wán丸roll effortlessly down a slope
- xià下sāi塞shàng上lóng聋blocked below, deaf above
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Open the tool →Questions about 下马作威
What does 下马作威 mean?
下马作威 (xià mǎ zuò wēi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to assert one's authority or establish dominance immediately upon arrival or taking up a new position, often by acting sternly or punishing someone severely as a warning to others; to make an impressive display of one's power from the outset”.
How do you pronounce 下马作威?
下马作威 is pronounced xià mǎ zuò wēi in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 下马作威 literally mean?
Literally, 下马作威 means “Dismount and show one's authority”. It is used to mean “to assert one's authority or establish dominance immediately upon arrival or taking up a new position, often by acting sternly or punishing someone severely as a warning to others; to make an impressive display of one's power from the outset”.
Where does 下马作威 come from?
下马作威 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 下马作威?
指官吏到任故意用严法处理下属树立威风。泛指先给对方一点厉害