一拥而上 (yī yōng ér shàng) — to swarm forward; to surge forward (of a crowd)

Definition

An idiom describing a crowd surging forward all at once, with no order or restraint. Pairs with 把 / 围住 to picture a mob closing in on someone or something.

idiom
to swarm forwardto surge forward (of a crowd)

Examples

  • 一拥而上，。
    Rén men yī yōng ér shàng, qiǎng gòu shāng pǐn.
    People surged forward to snap up goods.
  • 一拥而上，。
    Qiú mí men yī yōng ér shàng, bǎ qiú yuán wéi zhù le.
    The fans surged forward and surrounded the players.
  • ，一拥而上。
    Kàn dào míng xīng, fěn sī men yī yōng ér shàng.
    Upon seeing the celebrity, the fans surged forward.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
用
用yòng拥yōng
Same sound today

拥 pairs 扌 (hand) with 用, which gives the sound.

Open 拥 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

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