迅雷不及掩耳 — “Extremely sudden and swift, allowing no time for reaction or defense”
迅雷不及掩耳 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely sudden and swift, allowing no time for reaction or defense”. Like a clap of thunder giving no time to cover one's ears. Literally, “Thunder so swift one has no time to cover one's ears”.
迅雷不及掩耳 Pronunciation and Pinyin
迅雷不及掩耳 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 迅雷不及掩耳
Origin and Story of 迅雷不及掩耳
During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao campaigned against Ma Chao and Han Sui in the Yellow River region, defeating Ma Chao.
Ma Chao offered to cede territory for peace, but Cao Cao declined. After securing Weikou and fortifying his positions, Cao Cao feigned a willingness to negotiate while secretly accumulating strength.
He then launched a surprise attack on Ma Chao with a speed as sudden as thunder, leaving Ma Chao no time to react (迅雷不及掩耳). Ma Chao, completely unprepared, was utterly routed and fled in defeat.
Idioms Related to 迅雷不及掩耳
Synonyms of 迅雷不及掩耳
Antonyms of 迅雷不及掩耳
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Open the tool →Questions about 迅雷不及掩耳
What does 迅雷不及掩耳 mean?
迅雷不及掩耳 (xùn léi bù jí yǎn ěr) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely sudden and swift, allowing no time for reaction or defense”.
How do you pronounce 迅雷不及掩耳?
迅雷不及掩耳 is pronounced xùn léi bù jí yǎn ěr in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 迅雷不及掩耳 literally mean?
Literally, 迅雷不及掩耳 means “Thunder so swift one has no time to cover one's ears”. It is used to mean “Extremely sudden and swift, allowing no time for reaction or defense”.
Where does 迅雷不及掩耳 come from?
迅雷不及掩耳 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 迅雷不及掩耳?
雷声来得非常快，连捂耳朵都来不及。比喻来势凶猛，使人来不及防备。