📖 Meaning
Describes a reputation that has spread far and wide, known throughout the land or the entire world. It conveys the sense of fame galloping across all under heaven, leaving no corner untouched. The idiom emphasizes both the speed and the breadth of renown.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in Li Daoyuan's 'Commentary on the Water Classic' (《水经注·涑水》), a geographical work from the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 CE). Li Daoyuan, a renowned geographer and writer, used the phrase to describe a wealthy individual whose assets rivaled those of princes and whose fame spread throughout the world. The imagery draws on the character 驰 (to gallop or race), evoking the idea of fame traveling swiftly like a horse across the realm.
💡 Example Usage
这家老字号的糕点驰名天下，每天都有游客排队购买。
This time-honored shop's pastries are renowned throughout the land, with tourists lining up every day to buy them.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 驰名天下
- Pinyin: chí míng tiān xià
- Literal Translation: spread, fame, heaven, under
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4