不可一世 (bù kě yī shì) — to be insufferably arrogant; to think oneself unequalled

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'insufferably arrogant' — someone so full of themselves they think no one in the world can match them. Always negative, used for people whose pride is over the top.

idiom
to be insufferably arrogantto think oneself unequalled

Examples

  • 不可一世，。
    Tā qǔ dé yì diǎn chéng jì jiù bù kě yī shì, dà jiā dōu bù xǐ huan tā.
    He became insufferably arrogant after achieving a little success, and nobody likes him.
  • 不可一世，。
    Nà ge lǎo bǎn tài dù bù kě yī shì, duì yuán gōng fēi cháng ào màn.
    That boss has an insufferably arrogant attitude and is very haughty toward employees.
  • ，不可一世。
    Qiān xū shǐ rén jìn bù, bù kě yī shì zhī huì ràng rén tǎo yàn.
    Modesty helps people improve, while being insufferably arrogant only makes people dislike you.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 世 →

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