张牙舞爪 (zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo) — to bare fangs and brandish claws; to act ferociously or threateningly
Definition
A vivid chengyu meaning 'to bare fangs and brandish claws' — used for people or animals acting fierce and threatening, often more bluster than real danger.
idiom
to bare fangs and brandish clawsto act ferociously or threateningly
Examples
- 张牙舞爪，。Tā qì dé zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo, hǎo xiàng yào dǎ rén yí yàng.He was so angry that he bared his fangs and claws, as if he was going to hit someone.
- 张牙舞爪，。Nà tiáo gǒu duì mò shēng rén zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo, xià dé hái zi zhí kū.That dog bared its fangs and claws at the stranger, scaring the child into tears.
- 张牙舞爪，。Jǐn guǎn tā dāng zhòng zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo, dàn dà jiā dōu kàn chū tā zhǐ shì xū zhāng shēng shì.Although he made threatening gestures in public, everyone could tell he was just bluffing.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate
Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.
张牙 means spread the fangs and 舞爪 means wave the claws; together they describe threatening gestures.
Appears in
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