幺麽小丑 么麼小醜 yāo mó xiǎo chǒu insignificant wretch syn 钻牛角尖 鑽牛角尖 zuān niú jiǎo jiān lit. to penetrate into a bull's horn (idiom) / fig. to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem / to bash one's head against a brick wall / a wild goose chase / a blind alley / to split hairs syn 大材小用 dà cái xiǎo yòng using a talented person in an insignificant position (idiom) / a sledgehammer to crack a nut syn 卑卑不足道 bēi bēi bù zú dào to be too petty or insignificant to mention / to not be worth mentioning (idiom) 星星之火 xīng xing zhī huǒ a single spark (idiom) / an insignificant cause can have a massive effect syn 无名小卒 無名小卒 wú míng xiǎo zú insignificant soldier (idiom) / a nobody / nonentity syn 牛溲马勃 牛溲馬勃 niú sōu mǎ bó cow's piss, horse's ulcer (idiom) / worthless nonsense / insignificant 秤砣虽小压千斤 秤砣雖小壓千斤 chèng tuó suī xiǎo yā qiān jīn although small, a steelyard weight may tip a hundred pounds (idiom) / apparently insignificant details can have a large impact / for want of a nail the battle was lost 星星之火，可以燎原 xīng xing zhī huǒ , kě yǐ liáo yuán a single spark can start a huge blaze (idiom) / an insignificant cause can have a massive effect 渺乎其微 miǎo hū qí wēi remote and insignificant (idiom) 钻牛角 鑽牛角 zuān niú jiǎo lit. honing a bull's horn / fig. to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem / to bash one's head against a brick wall / a wild goose chase / a blind alley / to split hairs / same as idiom 鑽牛角尖|钻牛角尖 混蛋 hún dàn scoundrel / bastard / hoodlum / wretch syn 鸟人 鳥人 diǎo rén (vulgar) damned wretch / fucker / also pr. [niao3 ren2] 穷光蛋 窮光蛋 qióng guāng dàn poor wretch / pauper / destitute man / poverty-stricken peasant / penniless good-for-nothing / impecunious vagabond syn 可怜虫 可憐蟲 kě lián chóng pitiful creature / wretch syn 白眼狼 bái yǎn láng thankless wretch / an ingrate 贱骨头 賤骨頭 jiàn gǔ tou miserable wretch / contemptible individual syn 丧气鬼 喪氣鬼 sàng qì guǐ downcast wretch / bad-tempered and unpleasant person 措大 cuò dà worthless scholar / useless wretch syn 混球 hún qiú bastard / wretch / scoundrel 区区 區區 qū qū insignificant / trifling / merely syn 渺小 miǎo xiǎo minute / tiny / negligible / insignificant syn 微不足道 wēi bù zú dào negligible / insignificant syn 无关紧要 無關緊要 wú guān jǐn yào indifferent / insignificant syn 无足轻重 無足輕重 wú zú qīng zhòng insignificant syn 麽 麼 mó tiny / insignificant 渺 miǎo (of an expanse of water) vast / distant and indistinct / tiny or insignificant syn 细微末节 細微末節 xì wēi mò jié tiny insignificant details / niceties 雕虫小技 雕蟲小技 diāo chóng xiǎo jì insignificant talent / skill of no high order / minor accomplishment 无关痛痒 無關痛癢 wú guān tòng yǎng not to affect sb / irrelevant / of no importance / insignificant syn 忽略不计 忽略不計 hū lüè bù jì to disregard (sth seen as negligible) / to neglect (sth seen as insignificant) 天南地北 tiān nán - dì běi (idiom) far apart / (idiom) from different places / from all over / (idiom) (to talk) about this and that syn 从天而降 從天而降 cóng tiān ér jiàng (idiom) to fall from the sky / (idiom) (fig.) to appear unexpectedly / to drop into one's lap syn 数一数二 數一數二 shǔ yī shǔ èr (idiom) reckoned to be best or second best / one of the very best / (idiom) to list one by one syn 雨过天晴 雨過天晴 yǔ guò tiān qíng sky clears after rain / new hopes after a disastrous period (idiom) / every cloud has a silver lining (idiom) / see also 雨過天青|雨过天青[yu3 guo4 tian1 qing1] syn 一技之长 一技之長 yī jì zhī cháng proficiency in a particular field (idiom) / skill in a specialized area (idiom) syn 博士买驴 博士買驢 bó shì mǎi lǘ lit. the scholar buys a donkey (idiom) / fig. long-winded verbiage that never gets to the point / idiom mocking scholastic pomposity 死而不僵 sǐ ér bù jiāng dead but showing no signs of rigor mortis / to die hard (idiom) / to die yet not be vanquished (idiom) 磨穿铁砚 磨穿鐵硯 mó chuān tiě yàn to grind one's way through an ink stone / to persevere in a difficult task (idiom) / to study diligently (idiom) 雨过天青 雨過天青 yǔ guò tiān qīng sky clears after rain / new hopes after a disastrous period (idiom) / every cloud has a silver lining (idiom) / see also 雨過天晴|雨过天晴[yu3 guo4 tian1 qing2] 雪泥鸿爪 雪泥鴻爪 xuě ní hóng zhǎo a goose's footprint in the snow / vestiges of the past (idiom) / the fleeting nature of human life (idiom) 推来推去 推來推去 tuī lái tuī qù (idiom) to rudely push and pull others / (idiom) to evade responsibility and push it to others 只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针 只要功夫深，鐵杵磨成針 zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle. / cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom) / fig. to persevere in a difficult task / to study diligently 事不过三 事不過三 shì bù guò sān (idiom) a thing should not be attempted more than three times / don't repeat the same mistake again and again / (idiom) bad things don't happen more than three times 七弯八拐 七彎八拐 qī wān - bā guǎi (idiom) twisting and turning / (idiom) tricky and complicated 不知所以 bù zhī - suǒ yǐ (idiom) to not know the reason / (idiom) to not know what to do 不管不顾 不管不顧 bù guǎn - bù gù (idiom) to pay scant regard to (sth) / (idiom) unheeding / reckless syn 亭亭玉立 tíng tíng - yù lì (idiom) (of a woman) slender and elegant / (idiom) (of a plant) tall and straight syn 十拿九稳 十拿九穩 shí ná - jiǔ wěn (idiom) to be a cinch / in the bag / (idiom) (of a person) confident of success syn 吃干抹净 吃乾抹淨 chī gān - mā jìng (idiom) to devour (food) / (idiom) to shamelessly take advantage / to ruthlessly exploit 咬紧牙关 咬緊牙關 yǎo jǐn - yá guān (idiom) to grit one's teeth tightly / (idiom) (fig.) to endure pain or suffering / to bite the bullet syn 涂脂抹粉 塗脂抹粉 tú zhī - mǒ fěn (idiom) to put on makeup / (idiom) to prettify syn 拖泥带水 拖泥帶水 tuō ní - dài shuǐ (idiom) muddy and wet / (idiom) (of speech, writing etc) slovenly / sloppy / (of actions) indecisive syn 昂首天外 áng shǒu - tiān wài (idiom) to raise one's head and look towards the heavens / (idiom) arrogant / haughty 东摇西摆 東搖西擺 dōng yáo - xī bǎi (idiom) to sway from side to side / unsteady / (idiom) indecisive / hesitant 狂风暴雨 狂風暴雨 kuáng fēng - bào yǔ (idiom) howling wind and torrential rain / furious storm / (fig.) (idiom) difficult circumstances / dangerous situation syn 莼羹鲈脍 蓴羹鱸膾 chún gēng - lú kuài (idiom) the dishes from one's hometown / (idiom) homesickness 裙带关系 裙帶關係 qún dài - guān xi (idiom) favoritism shown to sb because of the influence of the person's wife or other female relative / (idiom) (by extension) favoritism towards relatives, friends or associates 遇人不淑 yù rén - bù shū (idiom) to be in a relationship with or marry a bad person / (idiom) to associate with a bad person 高高在上 gāo gāo - zài shàng (idiom) situated high / aloft / (idiom) (fig.) aloof and remote / situated above the masses and out of touch with reality 莫名其妙 mò míng qí miào (idiom) baffling / bizarre / without rhyme or reason / inexplicable syn 不可思议 不可思議 bù kě sī yì inconceivable (idiom) / unimaginable / unfathomable syn 小心翼翼 xiǎo xīn yì yì cautious and solemn (idiom) / very carefully / prudent / gently and cautiously syn 前所未有 qián suǒ wèi yǒu (idiom) unprecedented syn 成语 成語 chéng yǔ Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation / idiom / proverb / saying / adage / CL:條|条[tiao2],本[ben3],句[ju4] 与众不同 與眾不同 yǔ zhòng bù tóng to stand out from the masses (idiom) syn 不由自主 bù yóu zì zhǔ (idiom) can't help but / involuntarily syn 不知所措 bù zhī suǒ cuò not knowing what to do (idiom) / at one's wits' end / embarrassed and at a complete loss syn 成千上万 成千上萬 chéng qiān shàng wàn lit. by the thousands and tens of thousands (idiom) / untold numbers / innumerable / thousands upon thousands syn 大吃一惊 大吃一驚 dà chī yī jīng to have a surprise (idiom) / shocked or startled / gobsmacked syn 理所当然 理所當然 lǐ suǒ dāng rán as it should be by rights (idiom) / proper and to be expected as a matter of course / inevitable and right syn 一模一样 一模一樣 yī mú yī yàng exactly the same (idiom) / carbon copy / also pr. [yi1 mo2 yi1 yang4] syn 迫不及待 pò bù jí dài (idiom) unable to hold oneself back / eager to do sth without delay syn 目瞪口呆 mù dèng kǒu dāi dumbstruck (idiom) / stupefied / stunned syn 乱七八糟 亂七八糟 luàn qī bā zāo (idiom) chaotic / in disorder / muddled syn 实事求是 實事求是 shí shì qiú shì lit. to seek truth from facts (idiom) / fig. to be practical and realistic syn 随心所欲 隨心所欲 suí xīn suǒ yù (idiom) to follow one's heart's desires / to do as one pleases syn 独一无二 獨一無二 dú yī wú èr unique and unmatched (idiom) / unrivalled / nothing compares with it syn 情不自禁 qíng bù zì jīn (idiom) cannot refrain from / cannot help / cannot but syn 可想而知 kě xiǎng ér zhī (idiom) (it) goes without saying / can well be imagined 不约而同 不約而同 bù yuē ér tóng (idiom) (of two or more people) to take the same action without prior consultation / (usu. used adverbially) all (or both) of them, independently / as if by prior agreement syn 不以为然 不以為然 bù yǐ wéi rán not to accept as correct (idiom) / to object / to disapprove / to take exception to syn 无能为力 無能為力 wú néng wéi lì (idiom) powerless to do anything about it syn 脱颖而出 脫穎而出 tuō yǐng ér chū to reveal one's talent (idiom) / to rise above others / to distinguish oneself syn 口碑 kǒu bēi public praise / public reputation / commonly held opinions / current idiom syn 胡思乱想 胡思亂想 hú sī luàn xiǎng to indulge in flights of fancy (idiom) / to let one's imagination run wild syn 一网打尽 一網打盡 yī wǎng dǎ jìn lit. to catch everything in the one net (idiom) / fig. to scoop up the whole lot / to capture them all in one go syn 一如既往 yī rú jì wǎng just as in the past (idiom) / as before / continuing as always syn 不顾一切 不顧一切 bù gù yī qiè (idiom) to disregard all negative considerations / to cast aside all concerns syn 淋漓尽致 淋漓盡致 lín lí jìn zhì lit. extreme saturation (idiom) / fig. vividly and thoroughly / in great detail / without restraint / (of a performance) brilliant syn 千方百计 千方百計 qiān fāng bǎi jì lit. thousand ways, a hundred plans (idiom) / by every possible means syn 心甘情愿 心甘情願 xīn gān qíng yuàn delighted to (do sth, idiom) / perfectly happy to do / most willing to do syn 难以置信 難以置信 nán yǐ zhì xìn (idiom) hard to believe / incredible syn 惊心动魄 驚心動魄 jīng xīn dòng pò (idiom) heart-stopping / hair-raising / breathtaking syn 新陈代谢 新陳代謝 xīn chén dài xiè metabolism (biology) / the new replaces the old (idiom) 一见钟情 一見鍾情 yī jiàn zhōng qíng to fall in love at first sight (idiom) syn 自由自在 zì yóu zì zài free and easy (idiom) / carefree / leisurely syn 一目了然 一目瞭然 yī mù liǎo rán obvious at a glance (idiom) syn 咬牙切齿 咬牙切齒 yǎo yá qiè chǐ gnashing one's teeth (idiom) / displaying extreme anger / fuming with rage between gritted teeth syn 