📖 Meaning
Possessing noble moral character and commanding great respect and prestige. It describes a person whose ethical standing and virtue are so elevated that others naturally defer to their authority and judgment. The idiom emphasizes both moral excellence and the social influence that flows from it.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the modern Chinese writer Ai Wu's (艾芜) short story 'Going Home' (《回家》). In the story, a villager named Ding Yongsen is summoned by Uncle Shuiyuan to discuss an unpleasant matter. Though reluctant, Ding Yongsen feels he cannot refuse, because Uncle Shuiyuan is regarded throughout the village as a person of '道高德重' — someone whose moral stature and prestige make his wishes impossible to defy. The idiom thus captures how personal virtue translates into communal authority in traditional village life.
💡 Example Usage
村里的老支书道高德重，大家有事都爱找他拿主意。
The old village Party secretary is so respected for his noble character that everyone turns to him for advice whenever they have a problem.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 道高德重
- Pinyin: dào gāo dé zhòng
- Literal Translation: way, high, virtue, heavy
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4