盛名之下，其实难副 — “Under great fame, the reality is difficult to match”
盛名之下，其实难副 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person's great reputation may not accurately reflect their actual talents or virtues; it's difficult for one's actual abilities to live up to their widespread fame. It can also imply modesty or self-caution”. Literally, “Under great fame, the reality is difficult to match”.
盛名之下，其实难副 Pronunciation and Pinyin
盛名之下，其实难副 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 盛名之下，其实难副
Origin and Story of 盛名之下，其实难副
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, intellectuals were appointed to official positions through recommendations and imperial summons. Huang Qiong, from a prominent official family, was recommended by many high-ranking officials to be summoned to the capital.
However, upon reaching Songyang County near Luoyang, he feigned illness and refused to continue his journey.
His close friend Li Gu wrote to him, urging him to accept the official post. Li Gu cautioned that if he declined, people would remark, 'Under great fame, the reality often falls short.'
Inspired by this, Huang Qiong resolved to prove through his actions that he was truly worthy of his reputation.
Idioms Related to 盛名之下，其实难副
Synonyms of 盛名之下，其实难副
Antonyms of 盛名之下，其实难副
More idioms starting with 盛
- shèng盛bù不wàng忘shuāi衰remember decline during prosperity
- shèng盛kuàng况kōng空qián前unprecedented grand occasion
- shèng盛míng名zhī之xià下，，qí其shí实nán难fú符Great fame is hard to live up to
- shèng盛yàn宴nán难zài再Good times are rare and fleeting
- shèng盛dé德bù不mǐn泯Noble virtues never perish
- shèng盛dé德yí遗fàn范legacy of great virtue and exemplary conduct
- shèng盛bì必lǜ虑shuāi衰anticipate decline during prosperity
- shèng盛qíng情nán难què却Hard to decline a kind offer
- shèng盛shǔ暑qí祁hán寒intense summer and severe winter
- shèng盛jí极yī一shí时flourish greatly for a time
- shèng盛jí极bì必shuāi衰What goes up must come down
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Open the tool →Questions about 盛名之下，其实难副
What does 盛名之下，其实难副 mean?
盛名之下，其实难副 (shèng míng zhī xià ， qí shí nán fù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person's great reputation may not accurately reflect their actual talents or virtues; it's difficult for one's actual abilities to live up to their widespread fame. It can also imply modesty or self-caution”.
How do you pronounce 盛名之下，其实难副?
盛名之下，其实难副 is pronounced shèng míng zhī xià ， qí shí nán fù in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 盛名之下，其实难副 literally mean?
Literally, 盛名之下，其实难副 means “Under great fame, the reality is difficult to match”. It is used to mean “a person's great reputation may not accurately reflect their actual talents or virtues; it's difficult for one's actual abilities to live up to their widespread fame. It can also imply modesty or self-caution”.
Where does 盛名之下，其实难副 come from?
盛名之下，其实难副 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 盛名之下，其实难副?
盛：大；副：相称，符合。名望很大的人，实际的才德常是很难跟名声相符。指名声常常可能大于实际。用来表示谦虚或自我警戒。