📖 Meaning
Arrogant and lacking in courtesy; behaving with an overbearing attitude toward others without observing basic etiquette. It describes someone who treats people with disdain and shows no respect for social norms of politeness.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms' (三国志), in the 'Biographies of the Three Successive Rulers of Wu,' as annotated by the scholar Pei Songzhi. The annotation quotes Li Ren, an attendant serving under the Wu emperor Sun Hao, who warned about the dangers of a ruler's arrogance. Li Ren argued that傲慢 (arrogance) inevitably leads to无礼 (lack of courtesy), which breeds disobedience, crime, and ultimately unforeseen disaster. The phrase was thus used as a cautionary remark about the cascading consequences of treating others haughtily.
💡 Example Usage
他对来访的客人傲慢无礼，连茶都不倒一杯。
He was arrogant and rude to the visiting guests, not even offering them a cup of tea.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 傲慢无礼
- Pinyin: ào màn wú lǐ
- Literal Translation: arrogant, haughty, without, courtesy
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4