📖 Meaning
Literally meaning one's name does not appear on the posted list of results. It refers to failing an examination or not being selected in a competition or evaluation. The idiom conveys the disappointment of being passed over despite one's efforts.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Ming Dynasty work 'Jingshi Tongyan' (Stories to Caution the World) by Feng Menglong, Volume 17. It tells of a scholar who, despite performing well in all three rounds of the imperial examination, found his name absent from the results list. The text notes that he had been entering the examination hall since the age of five, and by twenty-one had failed three consecutive times. Over time, the phrase broadened to describe anyone who fails to be selected or promoted.
💡 Example Usage
他连续三年参加科举，却榜上无名，只好回乡务农。
He took the imperial examination for three consecutive years but his name was never on the list, so he had no choice but to return home and farm.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 榜上无名
- Pinyin: bǎng shàng wú míng
- Literal Translation: list, on, not have, name
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4