扶摇直上 (fú yáo zhí shǎng) — to rise steeply; to skyrocket (in status, wealth, fame, or prices)

Definition

Literary idiom for a rapid, steep rise — typically of status, wealth, fame, or prices. Stronger and more literary than everyday 'rise quickly', and almost always positive or impressive, not a slow climb.

idiom
to rise steeplyto skyrocket (in status, wealth, fame, or prices)

Examples

  • 扶摇直上，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de gǔ jià zuì jìn fú yáo zhí shǎng, zhǎng le shí bèi.
    This company's stock price has skyrocketed recently, rising tenfold.
  • ，扶摇直上。
    Tā píng jiè chū sè de yè jì, zài zhí chǎng zhōng fú yáo zhí shǎng.
    With his outstanding performance, he rose rapidly in the workplace.
  • 扶摇直上，。
    Nà wèi zuò jiā de xīn shū xiāo liàng fú yáo zhí shǎng, chéng wéi chàng xiāo shū.
    That writer's new book sales skyrocketed, becoming a bestseller.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夫
夫fū扶fú
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is a hand, matching actions like helping or supporting. The right part 夫 gives the sound fū.

Open 扶 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

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