望尘莫及 (wàng chén mò jí) — far behind, cannot compare, too inferior; too late to catch up
Definition
A formal chengyu meaning 'far behind, cannot catch up' — the gap is so large that even seeing the dust of the leader is hopeless. Used in writing, not everyday speech.
idiom
far behindcannot comparetoo inferiortoo late to catch up
Examples
- ,望尘莫及。Tā de shuǐ píng tài gāo le, wǒ wàng chén mò jí.His skill level is too high; I can't compare.
- ,望尘莫及。Zài zhè fāng miàn, wǒ guó de kē jì hái wàng chén mò jí fā dá guó jiā.In this area, our country's technology still lags far behind developed nations.
- ,望尘莫及。Jī huì yǐ jīng cuò guò le, xiàn zài hòu huǐ yě wàng chén mò jí.The opportunity has passed; it's too late to regret it now.
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