狐假虎威 (hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) — to bully others by flaunting powerful connections; (fig.) to use someone else's authority to intimidate

Definition

A chengyu from a fable: a fox walks boldly behind a tiger, and other animals flee — assuming the tiger's protection. It means using someone else's power to bully people, not your own strength.

idiom
to bully others by flaunting powerful connections(fig.) to use someone else's authority to intimidate

Examples

  • 狐假虎威，。
    Tā zhàng zhe fù qīn de quán shì dào chù hú jiǎ hǔ wēi, dà jiā dōu hěn tǎo yàn tā.
    He bullies people everywhere by flaunting his father's power, and everyone dislikes him.
  • 狐假虎威。
    Zhè zhǒng hú jiǎ hǔ wēi de xíng wéi zài zhí chǎng zhōng bìng bù shǎo jiàn.
    This kind of behavior of using someone else's authority to intimidate is not uncommon in the workplace.
  • 狐假虎威，。
    Bié yǐ wéi yǒu hòu tái jiù néng hú jiǎ hǔ wēi, chí zǎo huì lòu xiàn de.
    Don't think you can bully others just because you have connections; you'll be exposed sooner or later.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
瓜
瓜guā狐hú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

狐 uses 犭, the dog sign, to mark it as an animal, and 瓜 to give the sound.

Open 狐 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

虎 originally drew a tiger's head. Its body disappeared, and the legs and tail became the lower part.

Open 虎 →

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

威 is made by combining 戌 and 女.

Open 威 →

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