蜜口剑腹 — “To have honeyed words but a cruel heart”
蜜口剑腹 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have honeyed words but a cruel heart”. To be outwardly friendly and pleasant but inwardly treacherous and malicious. Describes someone who is two-faced and insidious. Literally, “Honeyed mouth, sword belly”.
蜜口剑腹 Pronunciation and Pinyin
蜜口剑腹 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 蜜口剑腹
Origin and Story of 蜜口剑腹
During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Li Longji), Prime Minister Li Linfu was extremely insidious and cunning.
He flattered and fawned over the emperor to gain trust. Towards other court officials, he used sweet words to gain their trust, deceive them into liking him, and win their favor, only to betray or frame them behind their backs, employing all sorts of double-dealing tactics. People used to describe him as having 'honey in his mouth and a sword in his belly.'
Idioms Related to 蜜口剑腹
Synonyms of 蜜口剑腹
Antonyms of 蜜口剑腹
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Open the tool →Questions about 蜜口剑腹
What does 蜜口剑腹 mean?
蜜口剑腹 (mì kǒu jiàn fù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have honeyed words but a cruel heart”.
How do you pronounce 蜜口剑腹?
蜜口剑腹 is pronounced mì kǒu jiàn fù in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 蜜口剑腹 literally mean?
Literally, 蜜口剑腹 means “Honeyed mouth, sword belly”. It is used to mean “to have honeyed words but a cruel heart”.
Where does 蜜口剑腹 come from?
蜜口剑腹 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 蜜口剑腹?
蜜：比喻甘美。嘴上甜，心里狠。形容两面派的狡猾阴险