历史典故

421 idioms in this topic.

• 一去不复返Gone forever
• 一衣带水A thin strip of water
• 一鼓作气One drumbeat to boost morale
• 万夫莫敌Invincible
• 万死一生To survive a thousand deaths
• 三令五申Three Commands and Five Pronouncements
• 三顾茅庐Visit the thatched cottage three times
• 上下其手play tricks behind the scenes
• 不咎既往Let bygones be bygones
• 不寒而栗shivering without being cold
• 不屈不挠unyielding
• 不得要领miss the point
• 不念旧恶Not to hold a grudge against past evils
• 不教而诛Punish without teaching
• 不能自拔unable to extricate oneself
• 不远千里thousands of miles away
• 东南半壁Southeastern half
• 东山再起Make a comeback
• 东征西讨to conquer east and west
• 东风压倒西风East wind prevails over west wind
• 丢盔卸甲to throw away one's helmet and armor
• 严刑峻法Strict Laws and Punishments
• 丧心病狂insane
• 丧权辱国humiliating the nation
• 丰功伟业great achievements and merits
• 临危受命Accept a mission in times of crisis
• 临时抱佛脚Last-minute effort
• 为富不仁Rich but Unfeeling
• 为虎添翼Add wings to a tiger
• 举贤任能promote and employ the worthy and capable
• 乌合之卒rabble
• 乐不思蜀happy and carefree, without a thought for Shu
• 九五之位The Nine-Five Position
• 九五之尊Nine-Five Supreme
• 九死一生nine deaths and one life
• 五马分尸five horses split the body
• 亘古未有unprecedented
• 亡国灭种national ruin and genocide
• 亲痛仇快own people suffer, enemies rejoice
• 人微言轻insignificant person, weak voice
• 付之一炬Reduced to ashes
• 以一当十One against ten
• 以夷伐夷using barbarians to attack barbarians
• 以夷制夷using barbarians to control barbarians
• 以强凌弱to bully the weak
• 以身殉国sacrifice oneself for one's country
• 以邻为壑to use one's neighbor as a sink
• 休养生息Recuperate and recuperate
• 休戚相关closely related
• 众叛亲离Abandoned by all
• 众志成城United as one
• 伤风败俗immoral
• 借刀杀人to use someone else to kill someone
• 借古讽今use the past to satirize the present
• 倾国倾城Beauty that ruins a country
• 假途灭虢Borrow the road to destroy Guó
• 偏安一隅live in peace in a corner
• 元凶巨恶mastermind
• 兄弟阋墙Brothers' Quarrel
• 先入为主Preconception
• 先声夺人Strike first
• 先礼后兵First courtesy, then force
• 先见之明foresight
• 全军覆灭Complete annihilation of the army
• 兴国安邦Prosperity and stability of the nation
• 兴师动众mobilize a large force
• 兴师问罪Launch a military campaign to demand an accounting
• 兵多将广Many soldiers and generals
• 兵微将寡few soldiers and generals
• 兵戎相见To meet each other with weapons
• 内外勾结internal and external collusion
• 决胜千里Decide the victory over thousands of miles
• 出师有名to have a just cause
• 分崩离析disintegration
• 分庭抗礼stand on equal footing
• 初出茅庐inexperienced
• 初生之犊newborn calf
• 判若鸿沟as different as night and day
• 前仆后继fall one after another
• 前车之鉴A lesson from the past
• 力不从心powerless
• 功垂竹帛achievements recorded in history
• 助纣为虐Assisting Zhou in his tyranny
• 劳师袭远Exhausting troops in distant attacks
• 劳苦功高hard work and great merit
• 势不两立irreconcilable
• 势不可当unstoppable
• 势焰熏天overbearing power and arrogance
• 化干戈为玉帛Turn swords into silk and jade
• 匹夫之勇The courage of a common man
• 匹夫有责Everyone has a responsibility
• 匹马当先lead the charge
• 千夫所指condemned by thousands
• 半壁江山Half a kingdom
• 半壁河山Half the River and Mountains
• 半路出家late bloomer
• 卖刀买犊Sell swords, buy calves
• 卖国求荣sell one's country for glory
• 卖犊买刀Sell the calf, buy a sword
• 卖身投靠sell oneself to; to attach oneself to
• 南征北战campaigning in the south and north
• 南征北讨Fight in the south and north
• 卧薪尝胆sleep on a bed of straw and taste gall
• 卷土重来make a comeback
• 厉兵秣马Sharpen weapons and feed horses
• 反戈一击Turn against
• 各为其主Each serves his own master
• 各自为战Fight independently
• 各自为政each act independently
• 同室操戈Internecine strife
• 同心同德unity and harmony
• 同生共死share the same fate
• 后顾之虞worries from behind
• 唯命是从Obey implicitly
• 唾面自干Let the spit dry on one's face
• 善始善终Start well, end well
• 四分五裂shattered, fragmented
• 四面受敌besieged on all sides
• 四面楚歌surrounded by enemies on all sides
• 回天之力power to turn the heavens around
• 国仇家恨national and family hatred
• 国恨家仇national and family hatred
• 国破家亡national ruin and family destruction
• 土崩瓦解Landslide and tile disintegration
• 地利人和Favorable location and support of the people
• 坚贞不屈unyielding
• 处之泰然to remain calm
• 多事之秋A time of turmoil
• 多难兴邦Adversity builds a nation
• 大兴土木Extensive construction
• 大功告成Great achievement completed
• 大势所趋the general trend
• 大谬不然great mistake
• 天下莫敌Invincible under heaven
• 天府之国Land of Heavenly Abundance
• 太平盛世Time of peace and prosperity
• 失之东隅，收之桑榆What is lost in the East is gained in the West
• 失道寡助lose the way, little help
• 奇耻大辱Great Humiliation
• 好好先生Nice Guy
• 如丧考妣as if one's parents had died
• 如临大敌like facing a great enemy
• 如火如荼like fire and like hemp flowers
• 如雷贯耳Thunderous reputation
• 妄自菲薄belittle oneself
• 妇人之仁Woman's kindness
• 委靡不振listless and despondent
• 威迫利诱coercion and inducement
• 孤立无援Isolated and helpless
• 孤臣孽子lonely minister and illegitimate child
• 孺子可教The child is teachable
• 安内攘外pacify the interior and repel foreign aggression
• 官官相卫officials shielding each other
• 官逼民反Officials force the people to rebel
• 宠辱不惊Unfazed by Honor or Disgrace
• 家破人亡Family destroyed, people dead
• 寸土不让Not an inch of land
• 寸土必争Fight for every inch of land
• 小题大作make a mountain out of a molehill
• 尸山血海mountain of corpses and sea of blood
• 尾大不掉Too big to control
• 居安思危to be prepared for danger in times of peace
• 屈膝求和Kneel and ask for peace
• 屡战屡败Repeatedly fighting and losing
• 山河破碎shattered mountains and rivers
• 师出有名having a just cause
• 师老兵疲exhausted troops
• 广开言路Open up channels of communication
• 建功立事Establish merit and achieve success
• 开门揖盗open the door to invite thieves
• 弃之可惜too bad to throw away
• 弃文就武Abandon literature for military service
• 弃暗投明abandon darkness and embrace the light
• 强作解人pretend to understand
• 强干弱枝strengthen the main trunk and weaken the branches
• 强弩之末The end of a strong crossbow
• 强弩末矢exhausted bow and spent arrow
• 得不偿失a losing proposition
• 心腹之患heart's trouble
• 忍辱负重endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens
• 志同道合like-minded
• 志在四方aim at all four directions
• 怒发冲冠Furious
• 急流勇退Retreat from the rapids
• 怨天尤人blame fate/others
• 恋栈不去Cling to one's post
• 患难与共Share weal and woe
• 惟利是图only seeking profit
• 惟命是从obey implicitly
• 惩前毖后Learn from past mistakes and be cautious in the future
• 感恩图报repay kindness
• 戎马生涯military career
• 战无不胜Invincible
• 所向无敌invincible
• 打入冷宫be put in the cold palace
• 打草惊蛇beat the grass and startle the snake
• 执迷不悟Blindly clinging to one's mistakes
• 扫地以尽sweep the ground clean
• 扬汤止沸Boiling Water
• 投笔从戎throw down the pen and join the army
• 投鞭断流throw whip to break the flow
• 折冲樽俎negotiating at the table
• 抚今追昔To recall the past and reflect on the present
• 报仇雪恨take revenge and wash away the shame
• 抱残守缺cling to the old
• 拒人千里keep people at arm's length
• 招兵买马recruit soldiers and buy horses
• 招贤纳士Recruiting and accepting talented people
• 挥汗成雨Sweat like rain
• 捉襟见肘hard up
• 捷报频传Good news comes frequently
• 捷足先登quick feet, first to ascend
• 排除异己exclude dissidents
• 握手言欢Shake hands and make peace
• 操之过急act too hastily
• 攀龙附凤curry favor with the powerful
• 收之桑榆Gain in the West
• 改弦更张change the strings and retuning
• 攻守同盟Defensive alliance
• 敌国外患external enemies and threats
• 敌忾同仇united hatred against the enemy
• 文人相轻Literary rivals
• 文恬武嬉Civil tranquility and military leisure
• 文治武功Civil administration and military achievements
• 文韬武略military and strategic prowess
• 料敌如神Assess the enemy like a god
• 斩关夺隘Capture passes and fortified positions
• 断壁残垣ruins
• 旁征博引Extensive citation
• 无名小卒unknown soldier
• 无名英雄Unsung Hero
• 无立锥之地No place to stand a cone
• 无计可施Helpless
• 既往不咎Let bygones be bygones
• 时移世易Times change and the world changes
• 时移势易Times change
• 明争暗斗open and covert struggle
• 明修栈道，暗度陈仓Repair the road openly, secretly cross Chen Cang
• 明哲保身Mingzhe Baoshen
• 春秋笔法Spring and Autumn Annals writing style
• 暗渡陈仓Secretly crossing Chencang
• 替天行道Act on behalf of Heaven
• 有名无实Figurehead
• 有恃无恐fearless
• 望风而降surrender at the sight of the enemy
• 朝秦暮楚Serving Qin in the morning, Chu in the evening
• 机不可失Opportunity should not be missed
• 杀一儆百Kill one to warn a hundred
• 杀人如麻killing people like hemp
• 权宜之计stopgap measure
• 楚才晋用Chu talents used in Jin
• 横征暴敛exorbitant taxes and levies
• 欲盖弥彰to attempt to conceal only serves to reveal
• 欺人太甚to bully someone too much
• 欺软怕硬bully the weak and fear the strong
• 止戈为武stop the halberd to be martial
• 死于非命Unnatural Death
• 死有余辜deserves more than death
• 死灰复燃Dead ashes rekindle
• 死而后已Only after death will we stop
• 残军败将Remnants of a defeated army
• 残山剩水remaining mountains and water
• 残民以逞to oppress the people to satisfy one's desires
• 残渣余孽remnants
• 殷鉴不远The lessons of the past are not far off
• 气息奄奄gasping
• 求贤如渴Seeking talents like thirsty for water
• 求贤若渴eager to seek talents
• 汗马功劳Great merit
• 江郎才尽Jiang Lang Cai Jin
• 沆瀣一气
• 沧海横流Turbulent sea
• 泽被后世benefit future generations
• 流芳百世Go down in history
• 浴血奋战Fight bravely
• 渔人得利fisherman's gain
• 渔翁之利fisherman's gain
• 游刃有余have more than enough room to move the blade
• 漏网之鱼fish that slipped through the net
• 炙手可热powerful and influential
• 烜赫一时famous for a time
• 烽火连天
• 狗尾续貂dog tail follows mink
• 狼烟四起Wolf smoke rises
• 猖獗一时rampant for a while
• 玉石俱焚Jade and stone burn together
• 瓦釜雷鸣Wǎ fǔ léi míng
• 甚嚣尘上much ado about nothing
• 生杀予夺power over life and death
• 生死存亡life or death
• 生民涂炭People in dire straits
• 用武之地place to use one's abilities
• 疲于奔命exhausted from running around
• 白衣卿相man in white, with the rank of minister
• 百万雄兵Million-strong army
• 百万雄师million-strong army
• 百家争鸣The Hundred Schools of Thought
• 皇亲国戚Imperial relatives
• 盖棺事定only after death can one's merits and demerits be judged
• 盖棺论定To judge only after death
• 盘马弯弓circling horse, bending bow
• 目光如炬gaze like a torch
• 相庆弹冠Mutual congratulations on promotion
• 相持不下deadlocked
• 知难而退retreat in the face of difficulty
• 矫枉过正overcorrection
• 祸从天降misfortune from heaven
• 祸起萧墙Disaster originates within the walls
• 离群索居to live in seclusion
• 积毁销骨Continuous slander destroys
• 称王称霸to dominate
• 程门度雪Snow at Cheng's door
• 穷奢极侈Extreme Luxury and Extravagance
• 立锥之地a place to stick a pin
• 等闲之辈ordinary person
• 筚路蓝缕toil and moil
• 精疲力尽exhausted
• 纵虎归山release the tiger back to the mountains
• 罄竹难书Too numerous to record
• 罚不当罪Disproportionate punishment
• 罢黜百家Reject all schools of thought
• 置之度外put aside
• 老成持重experienced and composed
• 肉食者鄙Those who eat meat are mean
• 肝脑涂地liver and brains on the ground
• 背城借一fight a last-ditch battle
• 背道而驰run counter to
• 腥风血雨bloody wind and rain
• 膏粱子弟pampered son of a wealthy family
• 自圆其说justify oneself
• 自愧弗如feel oneself inferior
• 自掘坟墓dig one's own grave
• 自相残杀internecine strife
• 自知之明self-knowledge
• 舍生取义sacrifice oneself for righteousness
• 节节败退step by step retreat
• 苛捐杂税Exorbitant Taxes and Levies
• 苟全性命Barely save one's life
• 英雄无用武之地A hero with no place to use his talents
• 英雄豪杰heroes and heroines
• 莫予毒也No one can harm me anymore
• 营私舞弊corruption and malpractice for personal gain
• 虚左以待to leave the seat on the left vacant to show respect
• 蚕食鲸吞Gradual Erosion and Sudden Annexation
• 血流成河blood flowed into rivers
• 血雨腥风bloody and brutal
• 衮衮诸公High-ranking officials (who do nothing)
• 覆水难收Spilt water cannot be recovered
• 视死如归to regard death as returning home
• 解甲归田return to the fields after taking off the armor
• 言犹在耳Words still ring in the ears
• 誓不两立sworn enemies
• 计功行赏Reward according to merit
• 认贼作父regard the enemy as father
• 讳莫如深keep mum
• 调和鼎鼐harmonize the tripod and the cauldron
• 败军之将defeated general
• 贻害无穷far-reaching consequences
• 赏罚分明Reward and punishment are clear
• 趁人之危to take advantage of someone's weakness
• 超群绝伦unparalleled
• 趋炎附势To curry favor with the powerful
• 踌躇满志full of pride and ambition
• 身先士卒lead from the front
• 身经百战Battle-hardened
• 轩然大波a great stir
• 轻徭薄赋light corvée and taxes
• 过河拆桥burn bridges
• 运筹帷幄Plan and strategize
• 近朱者赤Near vermilion, one is red
• 迷途知返to turn back from a wrong path
• 追本溯源trace the source
• 退避三舍Retreat three steps
• 道不拾遗Nothing is picked up from the road
• 遗臭万年Infamy for ten thousand years
• 遗臭千秋leave a bad name for thousands of years
• 邯郸学步Learning to walk in Handan
• 里通外国Collaborate with foreign countries
• 重归于好reconcile
• 重蹈覆辙Repeat the same mistakes
• 量入为出Live within one's means
• 量力而行act according to one's capabilities
• 金屋藏娇Golden house, hidden beauty
• 金瓯无缺Intact Jin'ou
• 釜底抽薪to draw the firewood from under the cauldron
• 钟鸣鼎食Bells ringing and tripod food
• 钩心斗角intrigue and power struggles
• 铁石心肠heart of iron and stone
• 铸剑为犁Beat swords into plowshares
• 长袖善舞long sleeves, good at dancing
• 问鼎中原to ask for the tripod of the Central Plains
• 阮囊羞涩shy purse
• 陈陈相因Chen Chen Xiang Yin
• 除暴安良eliminate violence and comfort the good
• 随机应变adapt to the situation
• 难兄难弟brothers in adversity
• 雷霆万钧Thunder and Ten Thousand Jun
• 非我族类Not of our kind
• 顺天应人Follow Heaven's will and respond to the people
• 顾名思义As the name suggests
• 风云际会Meeting of wind and clouds
• 风声鹤唳Wind and Crane Cry
• 食不甘味Food tastes bland
• 饮鸩止渴Drink poison to quench one's thirst
• 首鼠两端Wavering between two sides
• 马放南山Horses Released to the South Mountain
• 马首是瞻to follow the lead horse
• 驰骋疆场Gallop across the battlefield
• 驷马难追A four-horse chariot cannot be overtaken
• 骨肉相残fratricide
• 高枕无忧sleep soundly without worry
• 鬼哭狼嚎ghost crying and wolf howling
• 鱼肉百姓oppress the people
• 鲸吞虎据whale swallowing, tiger seizing
• 鸟尽弓藏Birds are gone, the bow is hidden
• 鸡犬升天chickens and dogs ascend to heaven
• 鸣鼓而攻Beat the drum and attack
• 鹿死谁手Whose hands will the deer fall into?
• 鼎足而三Three-legged tripod
• 鼎足而立three-legged stand
• 鼠窃狗盗Petty theft