📖 Meaning
To gather and combine one's prestige and power with that of others. It describes uniting authority and influence to strengthen a collective position, typically to resist external threats or stabilize a domain.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms' (三国志), in the biography of Yuan Shao within the Wei section (魏志·袁绍传). The passage advises that those who share the general's mind and will should become one body, combining their majesty and power to repel invaders and bring peace to the household. It reflects strategic counsel from the late Eastern Han dynasty, when warlords sought alliances to consolidate strength amid civil strife.
💡 Example Usage
面对强敌压境，各路诸侯决定并威偶势，共同御敌于国门之外。
With a powerful enemy at the border, the warlords decided to combine their prestige and strength to repel the invaders together.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 并威偶势
- Pinyin: bìng wēi ǒu shì
- Literal Translation: combine, awe, pair, power
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4