Definition
弱肉强食 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'the weak are meat, the strong eat it'. It describes a situation where the strong dominate and exploit the weak, often used to characterize ruthless competition in nature, society, or business. The English equivalent is 'the law of the jungle' or 'survival of the fittest'.
f.e.
the law of the junglesurvival of the fittest (in a ruthless competitive environment)
Examples
- 弱肉强食，。Zài ruò ròu jiàng de shāngchǎng shàng, zhǐyǒu búduàn chuàngxīn cáinéng shēngcún.In the law-of-the-jungle business world, only continuous innovation allows survival.
- 弱肉强食，。Zìránjiè zhōng ruò ròu jiàng de fǎzé, ràng dòngwù men wèile shēngcún ér jìngzhēng.The law-of-the-jungle rule in nature makes animals compete for survival.
- 弱肉强食，。Guójì guānxì yǒushí yě zūnxún ruò ròu jiàng de luóji, qiángguó qīfu ruòguó.International relations sometimes follow the logic of the law of the jungle, with strong countries bullying weak ones.
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