应声虫 — “Echoing worm”
应声虫 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person who merely echoes or assents to what others say, without having any independent opinions; a sycophant; a yes-man”. Literally, “Echoing worm”.
应声虫 Pronunciation and Pinyin
应声虫 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 应声虫
Origin and Story of 应声虫
It is said that a scholar in Luoyang suffered from an 'echoing disease.' As soon as he spoke, an echo would immediately sound from his throat.
He consulted the famous physician Zhang Fuzhong, who found this strange and pondered it day and night until he finally devised a treatment.
Zhang Fuzhong immediately had him read from the 'Compendium of Materia Medica.' The scholar kept echoing, but when he came across parts that frightened him, the echo stopped.
Based on this observation, Zhang Fuzhong promptly prescribed medicine, and the scholar was indeed cured.
Idioms Related to 应声虫
More idioms starting with 应
- yìng应fu付zì自rú如handle with ease and competence
- yìng应fu付yù裕rú如handle with ease
- yìng应rèn刃ér而jiě解to be readily and smoothly resolved
- yìng应biàn变wú无fāng方adapt to changes without a fixed method
- yìng应biàn变suí随jī机adapt to changing circumstances
- yìng应míng名diǎn点mǎo卯go through the motions
- yīng应tú图shòu受lù箓Ascend to power by divine mandate
- yìng应tiān天cóng从rén人Align with Heaven's will and people's wishes
- yīng应tiān天cóng从mín民comply with natural principles and popular will
- yīng应tiān天cóng从wù物adapt to cosmic principles and human desires
- yīng应tiān天shòu受mìng命chosen by Heaven to lead
- yìng应tiān天chéng承yùn运Align with Heaven's will, embrace destiny
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Open the tool →Questions about 应声虫
What does 应声虫 mean?
应声虫 (yìng shēng chóng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person who merely echoes or assents to what others say, without having any independent opinions; a sycophant; a yes-man”.
How do you pronounce 应声虫?
应声虫 is pronounced yìng shēng chóng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 应声虫 literally mean?
Literally, 应声虫 means “Echoing worm”. It is used to mean “a person who merely echoes or assents to what others say, without having any independent opinions; a sycophant; a yes-man”.
Where does 应声虫 come from?
应声虫 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 应声虫?
比喻自己胸无主张，随声附和他人。