跳梁小丑 — “An insignificant troublemaker”
跳梁小丑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an insignificant troublemaker”. A petty villain who makes a fuss but can't achieve anything substantial or pose a serious threat. Literally, “leaping clown”.
Frequency
跳梁小丑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 跳tiào
- 梁liáng
- 小xiǎo
- 丑chǒu
跳梁小丑 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 跳梁小丑
那些在背后散布谣言的人，不过是些跳梁小丑，掀不起什么大风浪。
Those who spread rumors behind people's backs are merely insignificant troublemakers, incapable of stirring up any major trouble.
Origin and Story of 跳梁小丑
During the Song Dynasty, Zhang Jingxian, the Deputy Minister of Revenue, was an upright man who abhorred evil. He defied powerful figures and insisted on exiling Zheng Fang, who had committed numerous misdeeds.
In the early Yuannian era, Zhang Jingxian became the highest-ranking official in the Heyang region. When ethnic minorities from the southwest invaded, Zhang Jingxian advised the emperor: 'Those who harass our borders are merely 'leaping clowns' (", (跳梁小丑),
Idioms Related to 跳梁小丑
Synonyms of 跳梁小丑
Antonyms of 跳梁小丑
More idioms starting with 跳
- tiào跳wán丸rì日yuè月Time passes incredibly swiftly
- tiào跳dào到huáng黄hé河xǐ洗bù不qīng清unable to clear one's name
- tiào跳zài在huáng黄hé河yě也xǐ洗bù不qīng清unable to clear oneself of suspicion
- tiào跳zài在huáng黄hé河xǐ洗bù不qīng清Unable to clear one's name
- tiào跳yuè跃zhǐ纸shàng上to vividly appear on the page
- tiào跳jìn进huáng黄hé河xǐ洗bù不qīng清unable to clear one's name
Questions about 跳梁小丑
- What does 跳梁小丑 mean?
- 跳梁小丑 (tiào liáng xiǎo chǒu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an insignificant troublemaker”.
- How do you pronounce 跳梁小丑?
- 跳梁小丑 is pronounced tiào liáng xiǎo chǒu in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 跳梁小丑 literally mean?
- Literally, 跳梁小丑 means “leaping clown”. It is used to mean “an insignificant troublemaker”.
- Where does 跳梁小丑 come from?
- 跳梁小丑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 跳梁小丑?
- 跳梁：腾跃跳动；小丑：对人的卑称。比喻猖狂捣乱而成不了大气候的坏人。