争名夺利 (zhēng míng duó lì) — to strive for fame and wealth (often with negative connotation of being overly ambitious or unscrupulous)

Definition

A negative idiom for aggressively chasing fame and profit. It paints the person as ruthless and unscrupulous, not just ambitious.

idiom
to strive for fame and wealth (often with negative connotation of being overly ambitious or unscrupulous)

Examples

  • 争名夺利，。
    Tā yì shēng dōu zài zhēng míng duó lì, zuì hòu què shén me yě méi dé dào.
    He spent his whole life striving for fame and wealth, but in the end he got nothing.
  • ，争名夺利。
    Zài zhí chǎng zhōng, yǒu xiē rén wéi le zhēng míng duó lì ér bù zé shǒu duàn.
    In the workplace, some people will stop at nothing to strive for fame and wealth.
  • 争名夺利。
    Zhè běn shū miáo xiě le gǔ dài guān chǎng zhōng zhēng míng duó lì de gù shi.
    This book describes stories of striving for fame and wealth in ancient officialdom.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

争名strive for fame
争zhēngstrive名míngfame
动宾Verb + object
夺利seize profit
夺duóseize利lìprofit
动宾Verb + object

争名 and 夺利 are two parallel actions, seeking 名 and seizing 利.

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 爭; 争 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 爭 shows two hands on a plowshare; the simplified 争 is a later abbreviation, so this picture belongs to 爭, not 争.

Open 争 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 奪; 夺 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 奪 includes 又 (a hand), 雀 (a bird), and 衣 (clothing), showing a hand seizing a bird from someone; the simplified 夺 is a later abbreviation.

Open 夺 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →

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