📖 Meaning
To sweep east and eradicate west — to campaign and subdue enemies in all directions. It describes a military leader or conqueror waging war far and wide to pacify the land and build a realm through force.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom appears in Chapter 119 of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong of the Ming dynasty. The text records the words: 'In former days, Emperor Wu of Wei swept east and west, campaigned south and north — it was no easy feat to win this empire.' This refers to Cao Cao, posthumously honored as Emperor Wu of Wei, whose relentless campaigns during the late Eastern Han dynasty subjugated rival warlords and laid the foundation for the state of Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. The phrase thus entered the language as a vivid image of ceaseless conquest across the four directions.
💡 Example Usage
他年轻时东荡西除，为朝廷立下赫赫战功。
In his youth he campaigned east and west, earning brilliant military achievements for the court.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 东荡西除
- Pinyin: dōng dàng xī chú
- Literal Translation: east, sweep, west, remove
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4