上纲上线 (shàng gāng shàng xiàn) — to exaggerate a minor issue by framing it as a matter of principle or ideological line (often sarcastic or critical)
Definition
Criticism idiom: inflating a small issue into a matter of political or moral principle, often sarcastically. Used when someone is accused of overreacting by dragging in ideology.
idiom
to exaggerate a minor issue by framing it as a matter of principle or ideological line (often sarcastic or critical)
Examples
- 上纲上线，。Bú yào bǎ xiǎo shì suí biàn shàng gāng shàng xiàn, wèn tí méi nà me yán zhòng.Don't casually blow a small thing out of proportion by linking it to principles; the problem isn't that serious.
- 上纲上线，。Tā pī píng tóng shì shí zǒng xǐ huan shàng gāng shàng xiàn, dà jiā dōu hěn fǎn gǎn.When he criticizes colleagues, he always likes to exaggerate it as a matter of principle; everyone finds it annoying.
- 上纲上线，。Zhè ge fā yán chōng mǎn le shàng gāng shàng xiàn de qiāng diào, tīng qǐ lái xiàng shì zhèng zhì pī pàn.This speech was full of that tone of blowing things up to the level of principles; it sounded like a political criticism.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side
Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.
上纲 and 上线 run side by side, with 上 'impose', 纲 'principle', and 线 'line'.
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