📖 Meaning
Literally 'change the original and add intensity,' meaning to develop further than the original state. In modern usage it describes a situation or behavior that becomes even more severe or excessive than before, almost always with a negative connotation.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the preface to the Wen Xuan (Selections of Refined Literature), compiled by Xiao Tong, Crown Prince Zhaoming of the Liang dynasty during the Southern Dynasties. Xiao Tong observed that in both nature and literature, people tend to elaborate upon what came before—following established patterns while adding ornamentation, altering the original form while intensifying its features. Originally a neutral observation about literary evolution, the phrase later shifted to a negative sense, describing behavior or circumstances that grow progressively worse.
💡 Example Usage
他非但没有悔改，反而变本加厉地继续欺骗家人。
Instead of repenting, he carried on deceiving his family with even greater audacity.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 变本加厉
- Pinyin: biàn běn jiā lì
- Literal Translation: change, original, add, severe
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4