沽名钓誉 (gū míng diào yù) — to seek fame and praise through dishonest or pretentious means

Definition

A formal, written chengyu meaning to seek fame and praise by dishonest or showy means — always negative, implying the person doesn't deserve the reputation. Use 沽 for 'selling/angling' and 钓 for 'fishing'; 名 and 誉 both mean reputation.

idiom
to seek fame and praise through dishonest or pretentious means

Examples

  • 沽名钓誉。
    Tā nà zhǒng zuò fǎ wán quán shì gū míng diào yù.
    His approach is entirely fishing for fame.
  • 沽名钓誉。
    Bié wèi le gū míng diào yù ér zuò chū bù chéng shí de shì.
    Don't do dishonest things just to seek fame.
  • 沽名钓誉，。
    Tā cān jiā cí shàn huó dòng shì wèi le gū míng diào yù, ér bú shì zhēn xīn bāng zhù bié rén.
    He participates in charity events to fish for fame, not to genuinely help others.

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.

沽名seek fame
沽gūseek名míngfame
动宾Verb + object
钓誉fish for praise
钓diàofish for誉yùpraise
动宾Verb + object

沽 means buy or seek, 名 is fame, 钓 is fish for, and 誉 is praise, describing dishonest pursuit of reputation.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ沽gū
Same sound today

In 沽, the 水 part is water and 古 gives the sound.

Open 沽 →

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

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →

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 釣; 钓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo釣diào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 釣 uses 金 for metal and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 钓 is a later shorthand.

Open 钓 →

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 譽; 誉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
與
與yǔ譽yù
Same sound today

The traditional form 譽 puts 與 above 言 (say); 言 is the part about saying, and 與 provides the sound. The simplified 誉 is a later shorthand.

Open 誉 →

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