畏缩不前 (wèi suō bù qián) — to hang back in fear; to shrink from advancing due to timidity or cowardice

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning 'to cower and refuse to advance' from fear or timidity. Emphasizes inaction caused by cowardice, stronger than simply 'being afraid'.

idiom
to hang back in fearto shrink from advancing due to timidity or cowardice

Examples

  • ，畏缩不前，。
    Miàn duì kùn nan, wǒ men bù néng wèi suō bù qián, yào yǒng gǎn dì yíng shàng qù.
    Facing difficulties, we cannot hang back in fear; we must bravely meet them head-on.
  • 畏缩不前，。
    Tā zài guān jiàn shí kè wèi suō bù qián, shī qù le zuì hǎo de jī huì.
    He hung back in fear at the critical moment and lost the best opportunity.
  • 畏缩不前，。
    Nà xiē wèi suō bù qián de rén, yǒng yuǎn wú fǎ tǐ huì dào chéng gōng de xǐ yuè.
    Those who hang back in fear will never experience the joy of success.

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.

畏缩fearful shrinking
畏wèifear缩suōshrink
联合Side by side
不前not advance
不bùnot前qiánadvance
偏正Modifier + head

畏缩 (fearful shrinking) and 不前 (not advancing) together describe hanging back.

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬼
鬼guǐ畏wèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early form of 畏 drew a ghost 鬼 holding a stick. Later, 卜 was used as the meaning part and 鬼 as the sound part.

Open 畏 →

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 縮; 缩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìstring, thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
宿
宿sù縮suō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 縮 pairs 糸 (string, thread) with 宿, which gives the sound; the simplified 缩 is a shorthand.

Open 缩 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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