📖 Meaning
Refers to a spacious public place with a large gathering of people. It describes an open, crowded setting where many are present. Often used to emphasize that something happens openly before a large audience rather than in private.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to Kongcongzi (《孔丛子》), a text attributed to a descendant of Confucius during the Han dynasty. In the chapter on Gongsun Long, a rhetorical question is posed: if a man were insulted in a broad hall before a great crowd and dared not fight back, would the king appoint him as a minister? The original wording '广庭大众' (broad hall, great crowd) was later reordered and condensed into the idiom '大庭广众,' which came to denote any crowded public venue.
💡 Example Usage
他在大庭广众之下大声喧哗，引得众人纷纷侧目。
He made a loud commotion in front of the large crowd, drawing disapproving glances from everyone around.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 大庭广众
- Pinyin: dà tíng guǎng zhòng
- Literal Translation: large, court, broad, crowd
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4