颐指气使 (yí zhǐ qì shǐ) — to be insufferably bossy and arrogant; to order people around with an air of superiority
Definition
A four-character idiom describing someone who is insufferably bossy and arrogant — telling people what to do by pointing and ordering rather than asking. Always negative, implying contempt for others.
idiom
to be insufferably bossy and arrogantto order people around with an air of superiority
Examples
- 颐指气使，。Tā gāng dāng shàng jīng lǐ jiù duì xià shǔ yí zhǐ qì shǐ, dà jiā dōu hěn fǎn gǎn.As soon as he became manager, he started bossing his subordinates around arrogantly, and everyone resented it.
- 颐指气使。Zhè zhǒng yí zhǐ qì shǐ de tài dù zài tuán duì lǐ zhī huì yǐn qǐ máo dùn.This kind of arrogant bossiness only creates conflict within a team.
- 颐指气使，。Tā cóng bù yí zhǐ qì shǐ, zǒng shì nài xīn dì tīng qǔ bié rén de yì jiàn.She is never bossy and always patiently listens to others' opinions.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate
Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.
颐指 and 气使 name pointing with the jaw and commanding with the breath, together describing bossy orders.
Appears in
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