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无懈可击 (wú xiè kě jī) — invulnerable, flawless, unassailable

Definition

A formal idiom meaning 'with no weak point to attack' — used to praise arguments, plans, or performances as completely airtight. Much stronger than 完美 (merely 'perfect'); it specifically implies nothing can be criticized or countered.

idiom
invulnerableflawlessunassailable

Examples

  • ，无懈可击。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng luó ji yán mì, jī hū wú xiè kě jī.
    His speech was logically rigorous and nearly flawless.
  • ，无懈可击。
    Zhè ge fāng àn jīng guò fǎn fù xiū gǎi, yǐ jīng wú xiè kě jī le.
    This plan has been revised repeatedly and is now unassailable.
  • ，无懈可击。
    Tā de wǔ dǎo biǎo yǎn wán měi wú quē, wú xiè kě jī.
    Her dance performance was perfect and flawless.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

无懈no slackness
无wúwithout懈xièslackness
动宾Verb + object
可击can be struck
可kěcan击jīstrike
偏正Modifier + head

无懈 means no vulnerable point and 可击 means can be struck, together giving no flaw to attack.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
解
解jiě懈xiè
Same sound today

懈 combines 忄, a shortened form of 心 (heart), with 解, which gives the sound.

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
毄
毄jī擊jī
Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Open 击 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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