坐以待毙 (zuò yǐ dài bì) — to sit back and wait for death; to take no action in the face of danger, passively accepting defeat or doom
Definition
A formal chengyu meaning 'to sit and wait for death' — i.e., doing nothing while doom approaches. Used to criticize passivity, urging action instead.
idiom
to sit back and wait for deathto take no action in the face of dangerpassively accepting defeat or doom
Examples
- ,坐以待毙。Gōng sī rú guǒ zài bù gǎi gé, jiù zhǐ néng zuò yǐ dài bì le.If the company doesn't reform, it can only sit back and wait for death.
- 坐以待毙,。Wǒ men bù néng zuò yǐ dài bì, bì xū zhǔ dòng chū jī.We cannot sit back and wait for death; we must take the initiative to attack.
- ,坐以待毙。Yù dào kùn nan yào jī jí jiě jué, bú yào zuò yǐ dài bì.When encountering difficulties, actively solve them — don't sit back and wait for death.
Appears in
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