无所作为 (wú suǒ zuò wéi) — (chengyu) doing nothing and accomplishing nothing; lacking initiative or drive; feckless
Definition
A chengyu for 'accomplishing nothing' — focuses on lacking drive and initiative over a stretch of time. Contrast with 无所事事 (just idle, moment to moment) and 一事无成 (a life that produced no results).
phrase
(chengyu) doing nothing and accomplishing nothinglacking initiative or drivefeckless
Examples
- 无所作为,。Tā zhěng tiān wú suǒ zuò wéi, yì diǎn shàng jìn xīn dōu méi yǒu.He does nothing all day and doesn't have any ambition.
- 无所作为,。Wǒ men bú yīng gāi mǎn zú yú wú suǒ zuò wéi, yào bú duàn jìn bù.We shouldn't be content with doing nothing; we must keep improving.
- 无所作为。Zhè ge tuán duì yīn wèi wú suǒ zuò wéi ér bèi jiě sàn le.This team was disbanded because it achieved nothing.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.