Definition
杀手锏 literally means 'killer mace' (a weapon used in ancient Chinese warfare), but it's almost always used figuratively to mean a 'trump card' or 'secret weapon' — a decisive advantage or move that you hold back until the critical moment. It's a fixed four-character idiom (成语) common in competitive contexts like business, sports, or arguments.
n.
trump cardsecret weapon (figurative)
Examples
- ，杀手锏，。Zài tánpàn zhōng, tā zuìhòu shǐ chū le shā shǒu jiǎn, ràng duìfāng bùdébù ràngbù.In the negotiation, he finally played his trump card, forcing the other side to concede.
- 杀手锏，。Zhège gōngsī bǎ xīn jìshù dàngzuò shā shǒu jiǎn, xīwàng néng dǎbài jìngzhēng duìshǒu.This company treats the new technology as its trump card, hoping to beat its competitors.
- ，杀手锏。Bú dào guānjiàn shíkè, tā bú huì qīngyì liàng chū shā shǒu jiǎn.He won't easily reveal his trump card until the critical moment.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.