厉害 厲害 lì hai (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible / intense / severe / devastating / amazing / awesome / outstanding / (of a person) stern / strict / harsh / shrewd / tough / (of an animal) fierce / (of a resemblance) striking / (of liquor or chili pepper) strong / (of bacteria) virulent syn 激烈 jī liè (of competition or fighting) intense / fierce / (of pain) acute / (of an expression of opinion) impassioned / vehement / (of a course of action) drastic / extreme syn 老虎 lǎo hǔ tiger / CL:隻|只[zhi1] syn 猛烈 měng liè fierce / violent / vigorous / intense syn 勇猛 yǒng měng bold and powerful / brave and fierce syn 剧烈 劇烈 jù liè violent / acute / severe / fierce syn 凶猛 兇猛 xiōng měng fierce / violent / ferocious syn 凶狠 xiōng hěn cruel / vicious / fierce and malicious / vengeful syn 猛兽 猛獸 měng shòu ferocious beast / fierce animal syn 凶恶 凶惡 xiōng è variant of 兇惡|凶恶, fierce / ferocious / fiendish / frightening syn 虎视眈眈 虎視眈眈 hǔ shì dān dān to glare like a tiger watching his prey (idiom) / to eye covetously syn 激战 激戰 jī zhàn to fight fiercely / fierce battle syn 生龙活虎 生龍活虎 shēng lóng huó hǔ lit. lively dragon and animated tiger (idiom) / fig. vigorous and lively syn 虎口 hǔ kǒu tiger's den / dangerous place / the web between the thumb and forefinger of a hand syn 凶悍 兇悍 xiōng hàn violent / fierce and tough / shrewish (woman) syn 母老虎 mǔ lǎo hǔ tigress / (fig.) fierce woman / vixen 狰狞 猙獰 zhēng níng malevolent / fierce / sinister syn 恶战 惡戰 è zhàn hard fighting / fierce battle syn 恶狠狠 惡狠狠 è hěn hěn very fierce syn 骑虎难下 騎虎難下 qí hǔ nán xià if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom) / fig. impossible to stop halfway syn 虎头蛇尾 虎頭蛇尾 hǔ tóu shé wěi lit. tiger's head, snake's tail (idiom) / fig. a strong start but weak finish syn 恶斗 惡鬥 è dòu hard fighting / fierce battle 短兵相接 duǎn bīng xiāng jiē lit. short-weaponed soldiery fight one another (idiom) / fierce hand-to-hand infantry combat / to fight at close quarters syn 万金油 萬金油 wàn jīn yóu Tiger Balm, an ointment applied topically to treat all manner of aches and pains / (fig.) (coll.) jack of all trades syn 暴烈 bào liè violent / fierce syn 纸老虎 紙老虎 zhǐ lǎo hǔ paper tiger syn 猛将 猛將 měng jiàng fierce general / valiant military leader / fig. brave individual syn 大虫 大蟲 dà chóng tiger syn 龙争虎斗 龍爭虎鬥 lóng zhēng hǔ dòu lit. the dragon wars, the tiger battles (idiom) / fierce battle between giants syn 狐假虎威 hú jiǎ hǔ wēi lit. the fox exploits the tiger's might (idiom) / fig. to use powerful connections to intimidate people syn 如虎添翼 rú hǔ tiān yì lit. like a tiger that has grown wings / with redoubled power (idiom) syn 剽悍 piāo hàn swift and fierce syn 洪水猛兽 洪水猛獸 hóng shuǐ měng shòu lit. severe floods and fierce beasts (idiom) / fig. great scourges / extremely dangerous or threatening things syn 白虎 bái hǔ White Tiger (the seven mansions of the west sky) / (slang) hairless female genitalia 搏杀 搏殺 bó shā to fight and kill / to engage in fierce combat (also used figuratively of opposing chess players) syn 你争我夺 你爭我奪 nǐ zhēng wǒ duó lit. you fight, I snatch (idiom) / to compete fiercely offering no quarter / fierce rivalry / tug-of-war 武将 武將 wǔ jiàng general / military leader / fierce man syn 为虎作伥 為虎作倀 wèi hǔ zuò chāng to act as accomplice to the tiger / to help a villain do evil (idiom) syn 横肉 橫肉 héng ròu fierce-looking 谈虎色变 談虎色變 tán hǔ sè biàn to turn pale at the mention of a tiger (idiom) / to be scared at the mere mention of syn 东北虎 東北虎 dōng běi hǔ Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) 鹰派 鷹派 yīng pài hawk faction (opposite: 鴿派|鸽派[ge1 pai4], doves) / fierce and combative party / war party / warmongers 凶巴巴 xiōng bā bā harsh / savage / fierce 四象 sì xiàng four divisions (of the twenty-eight constellations 二十八宿[er4 shi2 ba1 xiu4] of the sky into groups of seven mansions), namely: Azure Dragon 青龍|青龙[Qing1 long2], White Tiger 白虎[Bai2 hu3], Vermilion Bird 朱雀[Zhu1 que4], Black Tortoise 玄武[Xuan2 wu3] 伏虎 fú hǔ to subdue a tiger / fig. to prevail over sinister forces 藏龙卧虎 藏龍臥虎 cáng lóng wò hǔ lit. hidden dragon, crouching tiger (idiom) / fig. talented individuals in hiding / concealed talent syn 虎跳峡 虎跳峽 hǔ tiào xiá Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Jinsha River 金沙江[Jin1sha1jiang1] in Yunnan 华南虎 華南虎 huá nán hǔ South China Tiger 石虎 shí hǔ leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) / sculpted stone tiger installed at the tomb of revered figures in ancient times to ward off evil spirits 虎符 hǔ fú tiger tally (a two-piece object made in the shape of a tiger, used in ancient China as proof of authority. One half of a tally could be issued to a military officer and this would be matched with the other half when verification was required.) syn 龙腾虎跃 龍騰虎躍 lóng téng hǔ yuè lit. dragon soaring and tiger leaping (idiom) / fig. prosperous and bustling / vigorous and active syn 色厉内荏 色厲內荏 sè lì nèi rěn lit. show strength while weak inside (idiom) / appearing fierce while cowardly at heart / a sheep in wolf's clothing 毒 dú poison / to poison / poisonous / malicious / cruel / fierce / narcotics syn 恶 惡 è evil / fierce / vicious / ugly / coarse / to harm syn 凶 xiōng vicious / fierce / ominous / inauspicious / famine / variant of 兇|凶[xiong1] syn 猛 měng ferocious / fierce / violent / brave / suddenly / abrupt / (slang) awesome syn 虎 hǔ tiger / CL:隻|只[zhi1] syn 狠 hěn ruthless / fierce / ferocious / determined / resolute / to harden (one's heart) / old variant of 很[hen3] syn 激 jī to arouse / to incite / to excite / to stimulate / sharp / fierce / violent syn 烈 liè ardent / intense / fierce / stern / upright / to give one's life for a noble cause / exploits / achievements syn 唬 hǔ a tiger's roar / to scare / to intimidate / (coll.) to fool / to bluff syn 彪 biāo (literary) tiger stripes / (by extension) ornate and brightly colored / (by synecdoche) young tiger / (fig.) strong / stalwart / (old) classifier for troops 虎子 hǔ zǐ tiger cub / brave young man syn 剑齿虎 劍齒虎 jiàn chǐ hǔ saber-toothed tiger 虎骨 hǔ gǔ tiger bone (used in TCM) 寅 yín 3rd earthly branch: 3-5 a.m., 1st solar month (4th February-5th March), year of the Tiger / ancient Chinese compass point: 60° syn 虎年 hǔ nián Year of the Tiger (e.g. 2010) 狞 獰 níng fierce-looking 恶浪 惡浪 è làng violent wave / fierce billow / fig. depraved force 酷烈 kù liè intense / brutal / fierce syn 照猫画虎 照貓畫虎 zhào māo huà hǔ lit. drawing a tiger using a cat as a model (idiom) / fig. to follow a model and get things more or less right but without capturing the spirit of the subject / uninspired imitation syn 饿虎扑食 餓虎撲食 è hǔ pū shí like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey 解铃还须系铃人 解鈴還須繫鈴人 jiě líng hái xū xì líng rén lit. whoever hung the bell on the tiger's neck must untie it (idiom) / fig. whoever started the trouble should end it 老虎凳 lǎo hǔ dèng tiger bench (torture method in which the victim sits with legs extended horizontally along a bench, upper legs held down with straps while bricks are inserted under the feet, forcing the knee joint to bend in reverse) 势成骑虎 勢成騎虎 shì chéng qí hǔ if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom) / fig. impossible to stop halfway syn 初生之犊不畏虎 初生之犢不畏虎 chū shēng zhī dú bù wèi hǔ lit. a new-born calf has no fear of the tiger (idiom) / fig. the fearlessness of youth 虎狮兽 虎獅獸 hǔ shī shòu tigon or tiglon, hybrid cross between a male tiger and a lioness 獠 liáo fierce / hunt / name of a tribe 鸷 鷙 zhì fierce / brutal / bird of prey 伥 倀 chāng (bound form) ghost of sb devoured by a tiger who helps the tiger devour others 李安 lǐ ān Ang Li (1954-), Taiwanese-American film director (films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 臥虎藏龍|卧虎藏龙 and Brokeback Mountain 斷背山|断背山) 趮 zào easily provoked, hasty / fierce, cruel 虖 hū to exhale / to call / scream of tiger 豺狼虎豹 chái láng hǔ bào jackals, wolves, tigers and panthers (idiom) / animals who are dangerous to man and cattle / fierce and cruel people syn 卧虎藏龙 臥虎藏龍 wò hǔ cáng lóng lit. hidden dragon, crouching tiger (idiom) / fig. talented individuals in hiding / concealed talent 三人成虎 sān rén chéng hǔ three men talking makes a tiger (idiom) / repeated rumor becomes a fact 盘龙卧虎 盤龍臥虎 pán lóng wò hǔ lit. coiled dragon, crouching tiger (idiom) / fig. talented individuals in hiding / concealed talent 纵虎归山 縱虎歸山 zòng hǔ guī shān lit. to let the tiger return to the mountain / fig. to store up future calamities syn 苛政猛于虎 苛政猛於虎 kē zhèng měng yú hǔ tyrannical government is fiercer than a tiger (idiom) 虎背熊腰 hǔ bèi xióng yāo back of a tiger and waist of a bear / tough and stocky build syn 调虎离山 調虎離山 diào hǔ lí shān to lure the tiger from its domain in the mountains (idiom) / to lure an enemy away from his territory syn 养虎伤身 養虎傷身 yǎng hǔ shāng shēn Rear a tiger and court disaster. (idiom) / fig. if you're too lenient with sb, he will damage you later / to cherish a snake in one's bosom 养虎遗患 養虎遺患 yǎng hǔ yí huàn Rear a tiger and court disaster. (idiom) / fig. if you're too lenient with sb, he will damage you later / to cherish a snake in one's bosom syn 养虎为患 養虎為患 yǎng hǔ wéi huàn lit. to nurture a tiger invites calamity / fig. to indulge one's enemy is asking for trouble (idiom) 拉大旗作虎皮 lā dà qí zuò hǔ pí lit. to wave a banner as if it were a tiger skin (idiom) / fig. to borrow sb's prestige / to take the name of a great cause as a shield 虎尾春冰 hǔ wěi chūn bīng lit. like stepping on a tiger's tail or spring ice (idiom) / fig. extremely dangerous situation syn 凌厉 凌厲 líng lì swift and fierce / fierce / forceful syn 不入虎穴焉得虎子 bù rù hǔ xué yān dé hǔ zǐ how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair / nothing venture / nothing to gain or have 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 bù rù hǔ xué , yān dé hǔ zǐ How do you catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger's lair? (idiom) / Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 