📖 Meaning
Literally 'braving the snow and scorning the frost,' this idiom describes enduring harsh cold without losing spirit—the harder the conditions, the more vigorous the response. Metaphorically, it praises someone who, after long tempering, faces cruel persecution or blows without yielding or showing weakness.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Yuan dynasty drama 'Zhang Tianshi' (《张天师》) by playwright Wu Changling. In the third act, the personified plum blossom boasts of her jade bones and ice-like skin, unmatched by any flower, claiming she 'braves the snow and scorns the frost to claim first place.' The imagery draws on the plum blossom's habit of blooming in the depth of winter, when frost and snow are at their fiercest. Over time, the expression broadened from praising the flower's winter resilience to describing people who withstand hardship and oppression without flinching.
💡 Example Usage
院中那株老梅傲雪欺霜，越是严寒开得越艳。
The old plum tree in the courtyard braves the snow and scorns the frost, blooming all the more vividly the harsher the cold.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 傲雪欺霜
- Pinyin: ào xuě qī shuāng
- Literal Translation: defy, snow, scorn, frost
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4