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毁于一旦 (huǐ yú yī dàn) — to be destroyed in an instant (of accumulated achievements, reputation, etc.)

Definition

A formal idiom meaning a long-built achievement or reputation is wiped out in a single moment. Implies deep regret — years of effort undone by one mistake or disaster.

idiom
to be destroyed in an instant (of accumulated achievements, reputation, etc.)

Examples

  • ，毁于一旦。
    Tā xīn xīn kǔ kǔ jiàn lì de shì yè, yīn wèi yí cì shī wù jiù huǐ yú yī dàn le.
    The career he built with great effort was destroyed in an instant because of one mistake.
  • ，毁于一旦，。
    Duō nián de nǔ lì, jìng rán zài jǐ fēn zhōng nèi huǐ yú yī dàn, zhēn ràng rén tòng xīn.
    Years of hard work were destroyed in just a few minutes — it's truly heartbreaking.
  • ，毁于一旦。
    Gōng sī yīn wèi jīn róng wēi jī, suǒ yǒu zī chǎn huǐ yú yī dàn.
    The company's entire assets were destroyed in an instant due to the financial crisis.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 毀; 毁 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 毀 combines 臼 (cracked skull), 工 (tool), and 殳 (hand action) as a man being hit in the head; this explanation is about 毀, not the simplified 毁.

Open 毁 →

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

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

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

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng旦dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

旦 combines 日 (sun/day) with 丁 as a sound part; the story about the sun rising over a line is not the original explanation.

Open 旦 →
Appears in
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