反唇相讥 (fǎn chún xiāng jī) — to answer back sarcastically; to retort sharply (in a verbal argument)
Definition
A four-character idiom meaning to fire back a sharp, sarcastic retort in an argument. Stronger and more literary than everyday words like 反驳 or 回嘴, which lack the biting, mocking tone.
verb
to answer back sarcasticallyto retort sharply (in a verbal argument)
Examples
- ，反唇相讥，。Miàn duì duì fāng de pī píng, tā lì kè fǎn chún xiāng jī, sī háo bú ràng.Faced with the other side's criticism, he immediately retorted sarcastically, giving no ground.
- ，反唇相讥，。Zài biàn lùn sài zhōng, xuǎn shǒu men jīng cháng fǎn chún xiāng jī, chǎng miàn shí fēn jī liè.In debate competitions, contestants often fire back sarcastically, making the scene very intense.
- ，反唇相讥。Tā bèi tóng shì cháo fěng hòu, rěn bú zhù fǎn chún xiāng jī le jǐ jù.After being mocked by a colleague, he couldn't help but retort with a few sarcastic remarks.
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