强词夺理 (qiǎng cí duó lǐ) — to resort to sophistry; to argue irrationally using specious arguments

Definition

A chengyu for stubbornly arguing using distorted, fallacious reasoning to defend an indefensible position. It focuses on the speaker's irrationality, not just on being wrong.

idiom
to resort to sophistryto argue irrationally using specious arguments

Examples

  • ，强词夺理。
    Tā míng míng cuò le, què hái zài nà lǐ qiǎng cí duó lǐ.
    He is clearly wrong, yet he is still there resorting to sophistry.
  • ，强词夺理。
    Zài biàn lùn zhōng, qiǎng cí duó lǐ zhī huì ràng rén fǎn gǎn.
    In a debate, resorting to sophistry only makes people dislike you.
  • 强词夺理，。
    Nǐ bú yào qiǎng cí duó lǐ le, chéng rèn cuò wù ba.
    Don't resort to sophistry anymore; admit your mistake.

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.

强词force words
强qiángforce词cíwords
动宾Verb + object
夺理seize reason
夺duóseize理lǐreason
动宾Verb + object

Forcing 词 and seizing 理 describes arguing with specious words.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 強; 强 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 強 pairs an insect component with a sound component; this explains 強, not the simplified 强.

Open 强 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →

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 →

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →

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