回天之力 — “Power to turn back the heavens”
回天之力 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the extraordinary power or ability to reverse a desperate or critical situation, often saving it from failure or ruin; to have the power to turn the tide”. Literally, “power to turn back the heavens”.
回天之力 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 回huí
- 天tiān
- 之zhī
- 力lì
回天之力 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 回天之力
Origin and Story of 回天之力
In 630 AD, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty issued an imperial decree to reconstruct the Qianyuan Hall in Luoyang Palace.
Zhang Xuansu, considering this move inappropriate, submitted a memorial vehemently arguing against it.
Emperor Taizong accepted his advice and immediately ordered a halt to the construction, granting Zhang Xuansu 200 bolts of colored silk to commend his frank remonstrance.
Upon hearing of this incident, Wei Zheng praised Zhang Xuansu's words, saying they truly possessed the 'power to turn back the heavens' (回天之力) and were the words of a benevolent person.
Idioms Related to 回天之力
Synonyms of 回天之力
Antonyms of 回天之力
More idioms starting with 回
- huí回guāng光fǎn反zhào照temporary revival before collapse
- huí回guāng光fǎn返zhào照final burst of activity before collapse
- huí回wèi味wú无qióng穷endless aftertaste
- huí回chēn嗔zuò作xǐ喜turn anger into joy
- huí回tiān天dǎo倒rì日reverse an irreversible situation
- huí回tiān天zài再zào造reverse a desperate situation and restore
- huí回tiān天wǎn挽rì日turn the tide in a desperate situation
- huí回tiān天wú无lì力powerless to reverse a dire situation
- huí回tiān天zhuǎn转dì地profoundly alter a situation or attitude
- huí回tiān天zhuǎn转rì日reverse an irreversible situation
- huí回tiān天yùn运dǒu斗reverse a desperate situation
Questions about 回天之力
- What does 回天之力 mean?
- 回天之力 (huí tiān zhī lì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the extraordinary power or ability to reverse a desperate or critical situation, often saving it from failure or ruin; to have the power to turn the tide”.
- How do you pronounce 回天之力?
- 回天之力 is pronounced huí tiān zhī lì in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 回天之力 literally mean?
- Literally, 回天之力 means “power to turn back the heavens”. It is used to mean “the extraordinary power or ability to reverse a desperate or critical situation, often saving it from failure or ruin; to have the power to turn the tide”.
- Where does 回天之力 come from?
- 回天之力 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 回天之力?
- 原比喻言论正确，极有力量，影响深远。现多比喻能挽回严重局势的力量。