作茧自缚 (zuò jiǎn zì fú) — (idiom) to be caught in one's own trap; to hoist with one's own petard; to bring trouble on oneself
Definition
A chengyu for harming oneself by one's own actions — literally 'spinning a cocoon to bind oneself.' Used to warn that short-sighted or self-defeating choices backfire on the person who made them.
idiom
to be caught in one's own trapto hoist with one's own petardto bring trouble on oneself
Examples
- ，作茧自缚，。Tā wèi le yǎn qián lì yì shuō huǎng, jié guǒ zuò jiǎn zì fú, lián péng you dōu shī qù le.He lied for short-term gain and ended up caught in his own web, losing even his friends.
- ，作茧自缚，。Gōng sī gǎo tài duō tiáo tiáo kuàng kuàng, fǎn ér zuò jiǎn zì fú, yuán gōng dōu méi fǎ líng huó gōng zuò.The company created so many rigid rules that it trapped itself — employees couldn't work flexibly anymore.
- ，作茧自缚。Zuò jué cè qián duō tīng tīng bié rén yì jiàn, miǎn de zuò jiǎn zì fú hòu huǐ mò jí.Listen to others before making decisions, or you'll end up tying yourself in knots and regret it too late.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.