东施效颦 — “Dongshi imitates Xishi's frown”
东施效颦 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a fool of oneself by clumsily imitating others, especially by adopting someone else's mannerisms without understanding the underlying essence; blind imitation that leads to ridicule”. Literally, “Dongshi imitates Xishi's frown”.
东施效颦 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 东dōng
- 施shī
- 效xiào
- 颦pín
东施效颦 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 东施效颦
Origin and Story of 东施效颦
Xishi, one of the 'Four Great Beauties' of ancient China, lived in the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. Every one of her movements was captivating. Unfortunately, she suffered from a heart condition that caused her chest pain.
One day, after washing clothes by the river, she was on her way home when a sudden pang of chest pain forced her to clutch her chest and frown. Though she looked distressed and uncomfortable, the villagers who saw her praised her, saying she appeared even more beautiful than usual in that posture.
In the same village lived a girl named Dongshi, who was not attractive. Seeing how the villagers admired Xishi's pained expression, Dongshi decided to imitate her.
She too clutched her chest, frowned, and walked slowly in front of people, thinking she would also receive compliments. However, Dongshi was already plain-looking, and her deliberate imitation of Xishi's movements, coupled with her affected and strange appearance, only made people dislike her even more. Some who saw her quickly shut their doors, while others hurriedly pulled their wives and children away, despising Dongshi even more than before.
Idioms Related to 东施效颦
Synonyms of 东施效颦
Antonyms of 东施效颦
More idioms starting with 东
- dōng东yī一xià下xī西yī一xià下act aimlessly or erratically
- dōng东dǎo倒xī西wāi歪staggering and lopsided
- dōng东tōu偷xī西mō摸pilfer here and there
- dōng东tù兔xī西wū乌The relentless passage of time
- dōng东chōng冲xī西jué决floodwaters gushing and breaching banks
- dōng东chōng冲xī西zhuàng撞rush about aimlessly
- dōng东chōng冲xī西tū突charge and attack in all directions
- dōng东láo劳xī西yàn燕friends or lovers separating
- dōng东nán南zhī之bǎo宝outstanding talents from the Southeast
- dōng东nán南zhī之xiù秀Outstanding talents from the Southeast
- dōng东nán南zhī之měi美Eminence of the Southeast
- dōng东nán南bàn半bì壁southeastern half of the country
Questions about 东施效颦
- What does 东施效颦 mean?
- 东施效颦 (dōng shī xiào pín) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a fool of oneself by clumsily imitating others, especially by adopting someone else's mannerisms without understanding the underlying essence; blind imitation that leads to ridicule”.
- How do you pronounce 东施效颦?
- 东施效颦 is pronounced dōng shī xiào pín in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 东施效颦 literally mean?
- Literally, 东施效颦 means “Dongshi imitates Xishi's frown”. It is used to mean “to make a fool of oneself by clumsily imitating others, especially by adopting someone else's mannerisms without understanding the underlying essence; blind imitation that leads to ridicule”.
- Where does 东施效颦 come from?
- 东施效颦 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 东施效颦?
- 效：仿效；颦：皱眉头。比喻胡乱模仿，效果极坏。