东家效颦 — “Blind imitation that leads to a worse outcome”
东家效颦 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Blind imitation that leads to a worse outcome”. To ape another foolishly, often with ridiculous results. Literally, “The eastern neighbor imitates a frown”.
东家效颦 Pronunciation and Pinyin
东家效颦 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 东家效颦
Origin and Story of 东家效颦
During the Spring and Autumn period, Xi Shi, a renowned beauty from the State of Yue, possessed a graceful figure and fair complexion. She unfortunately suffered from heart pain, and when the pain flared up, she would often press her hand against her chest and furrow her brows. This gesture, surprisingly, added to her delicate charm.
An ugly neighbor, Dong Shi, observed Xi Shi's mannerisms and decided to imitate her, hoping to achieve a similar allure. However, when Dong Shi copied Xi Shi's pained frown, people found her even more unattractive and repulsive than before.
This idiom serves as a metaphor for making a clumsy or blind imitation that yields an even worse or laughable result.
Idioms Related to 东家效颦
Synonyms of 东家效颦
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
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Open the tool →Questions about 东家效颦
What does 东家效颦 mean?
东家效颦 (dōng jiā xiào pín) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Blind imitation that leads to a worse outcome”.
How do you pronounce 东家效颦?
东家效颦 is pronounced dōng jiā xiào pín in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 东家效颦 literally mean?
Literally, 东家效颦 means “the eastern neighbor imitates a frown”. It is used to mean “Blind imitation that leads to a worse outcome”.
Where does 东家效颦 come from?
东家效颦 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 东家效颦?
颦：皱眉头。比喻胡乱模仿，效果极坏。