专横跋扈 (zhuān hèng bá hù) — imperious and despotic; overbearing and domineering

Definition

A strongly negative idiom describing someone who acts arbitrarily and domineeringly, ignoring others' opinions. Typically used for leaders or people in power with an abusive, tyrannical style.

idiom
imperious and despoticoverbearing and domineering

Examples

  • 专横跋扈，。
    Zhè ge lǐng dǎo zhuān hèng bá hù, cóng bù tīng qǔ xià shǔ de yì jiàn.
    This leader is imperious and despotic, never listening to subordinates' opinions.
  • 专横跋扈。
    Tā nà zhǒng zhuān hèng bá hù de zuò fēng ràng suǒ yǒu rén dōu hěn fǎn gǎn.
    His overbearing and domineering style makes everyone dislike him.
  • 专横跋扈。
    Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō zhuān hèng bá hù de tǒng zhì zhě zuì zhōng dōu shī qù le mín xīn.
    Many imperious and despotic rulers in history eventually lost the people's support.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 橫; 横 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng橫héng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 橫 has 木, meaning wood, beside 黃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 横 is a later abbreviation.

Open 横 →

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
犮
犮bá跋bá
Same sound today

跋 pairs 足 (foot) with 犮, which gives the sound. The 足 part shows that the word is about using the feet.

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
邑邑yìarea
Sound part声符shēngfú
戸
戸hù扈hù
Same sound today

The shape of 扈 combines 戸, used for the sound, with 邑, meaning “area.”

Open 扈 →

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