Definition
居高临下 literally means 'to stand on a high place and look down'. As a four-character idiom, it refers to occupying an advantageous position — literally on higher ground in battle, or figuratively in a debate, competition, or argument, where you have a superior perspective or leverage over others.
idiom
to occupy a commanding positionto have the upper hand (in a contest, debate, etc.)
Examples
- 居高临下,。Wǒ jūn jū gāo lín xià, dírén hěn nán gōng shànglái.Our army occupies a commanding position; the enemy will find it hard to attack.
- ,居高临下,。Zài biànlùn zhōng, tā jū gāo lín xià, wèn le hěnduō ràng duìfāng nán huídá de wèntí.In the debate, he had the upper hand, asking many questions that were hard for the opponent to answer.
- ,居高临下,。Yóuyú zhǎngwò le héxīn jìshù, zhè jiā gōngsī yìzhí jū gāo lín xià, lǐngxiān yú jìngzhēng duìshǒu.Because it mastered core technology, this company has always had an advantage, ahead of its competitors.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.