望尘莫及 — “Gaze at the dust and cannot reach; beyond the reach of dust”
望尘莫及 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be so far behind in terms of progress, achievement, or ability that it's impossible to catch up or reach the same level; to be left far behind”. Literally, “Gaze at the dust and cannot reach; beyond the reach of dust”.
望尘莫及 Pronunciation and Pinyin
望尘莫及 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 望尘莫及
Origin and Story of 望尘莫及
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhao Ci, the prefect of Dunhuang, recommended Cao Gao as the magistrate of Xingyang County.
Later, when Zhao Ci was transferred to Donghai and passed through Xingyang, Cao Gao and others waited at the roadside to greet him, hoping to invite him to stay. However, Zhao Ci, not wanting to cause a disturbance, continued his journey without stopping. His carriage quickly moved ahead.
Cao Gao, eager to see him off, pursued him towards the Ten Li Long Pavilion outside the city. But by the time Cao Gao reached the pavilion, Zhao Ci's carriage had long disappeared from view, leaving only dust behind. Cao Gao was "望尘莫及," meaning he was too far behind to catch up.
Idioms Related to 望尘莫及
Synonyms of 望尘莫及
Antonyms of 望尘莫及
More idioms starting with 望
- wàng望yún云zhī之qíng情longing for one's parents
- wàng望qí其jiān肩bèi背to be able to rival or catch up
- wàng望qí其jiān肩xiàng项to be able to compete with someone
- wàng望qí其xiàng项bèi背to be able to catch up with
- wàng望zi子chéng成míng名hope for one's child to be famous
- wàng望zǐ子chéng成lóng龙hope children succeed
- wàng望chén尘bù不jí及too inferior to catch up
- wàng望chén尘piào僄shēng声believe rumors readily
- wàng望chén尘bēn奔běi北flee in disarray at enemy sight
- wàng望chén尘bēn奔kuì溃flee in disarray at enemy's approach
- wàng望chén尘bài拜fú伏kowtow to someone's every whim
- wàng望chén尘ér而bài拜bow at the dust of a powerful person
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Open the tool →Questions about 望尘莫及
What does 望尘莫及 mean?
望尘莫及 (wàng chén mò jí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be so far behind in terms of progress, achievement, or ability that it's impossible to catch up or reach the same level; to be left far behind”.
How do you pronounce 望尘莫及?
望尘莫及 is pronounced wàng chén mò jí in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 望尘莫及 literally mean?
Literally, 望尘莫及 means “Gaze at the dust and cannot reach; beyond the reach of dust”. It is used to mean “to be so far behind in terms of progress, achievement, or ability that it's impossible to catch up or reach the same level; to be left far behind”.
Where does 望尘莫及 come from?
望尘莫及 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 望尘莫及?
莫：不；及：赶上。望见前面骑马的人走过扬起的尘土而不能赶上。比喻远远落在后面。