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横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道
横行霸道

横行霸道 — “To act like a tyrant”

横行霸道 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to act like a tyrant”. To ride roughshod over others, to behave in a high-handed and oppressive manner. Literally, “run rampant and act tyrannically”.

Frequency

横行霸道 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 横héng
  • 行xíng
  • 霸bà
  • 道dào

横行霸道 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
横
héng15horizontal, sideways, across
行
xíng6to walk, act, or a line
霸
bà21dominate by force
道
dào13way, path, principle, say

Example Sentence with 横行霸道

那个仗着家里有钱的年轻人,经常在镇上横行霸道,欺负弱小
That young man, relying on his family's wealth, often acted like a tyrant in town, bullying the weak.

Origin and Story of 横行霸道

Xue Pan, a relative of the Jia family, arrived at the Jia residence. He was a typical playboy, neglecting his studies with a 'three days fishing, two days sunning nets' attitude, showing no genuine interest.

His true purpose was to associate with other dissolute young masters. He befriended two charming students, Xiang Lian and Yu Ai, and spent his days outside misbehaving.

Jia Rui, who was supposed to supervise the students, turned a blind eye to Xue Pan's actions, allowing him to run amok and behave tyrannically.

Idioms Related to 横行霸道

Synonyms of 横行霸道

  • zhuān专hèng横bá跋hù扈arbitrary, domineering, and overbearing
  • wéi为suǒ所yù欲wéi为do as one pleases
  • hú胡zuò作fēi非wéi为act recklessly and unscrupulously

Antonyms of 横行霸道

  • fèng奉gōng公shǒu守fǎ法uphold public service and observe laws
  • ān安fèn分shǒu守jǐ己content with one's lot and abide by rules

More idioms starting with 横

  • héng横qī七shù竖bā八scattered in a disorderly fashion
  • héng横sān三shù竖sì四in a jumble
  • héng横sān三shùn顺sì四crisscross confusion
  • héng横cóng从chuān穿guàn贯achieve thorough and comprehensive understanding
  • héng横dǎo倒shù竖wò卧lie about in disorder
  • héng横sài僿bù不wén文crude, vulgar, and uncultured
  • héng横chōng冲zhí直zhuàng撞to rush around recklessly
  • héng横chōng冲zhí直chuǎng闯charge about recklessly
  • héng横dāo刀jiē揭fǔ斧wielding a knife and an axe
  • héng横dāo刀yuè跃mǎ马charge bravely into battle
  • héng横fā发nì逆qǐ起emerge unexpectedly and rapidly
  • héng横tóu头héng横nǎo脑rude, aggressive, and overbearing

Questions about 横行霸道

What does 横行霸道 mean?
横行霸道 (héng xíng bà dào) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to act like a tyrant”.
How do you pronounce 横行霸道?
横行霸道 is pronounced héng xíng bà dào in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 横行霸道 literally mean?
Literally, 横行霸道 means “run rampant and act tyrannically”. It is used to mean “to act like a tyrant”.
Where does 横行霸道 come from?
横行霸道 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 横行霸道?
横行:行动蛮横仗势做坏事;霸道:蛮不讲理。依仗权势为非作歹。
Copy the pinyin for 横行霸道 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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