📖 Meaning
To withdraw from public office and retire into seclusion, proclaiming oneself noble and aloof from worldly affairs. It describes those who retreat from society and boast of their moral purity and superiority.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces to the Zhouyi (I Ching), specifically the 'Dun' (Retreat) hexagram, whose top ninth line reads '肥遁，无不利'—a far-reaching retreat brings no disadvantage; the character '肥' here means distant or far-reaching. In later usage, this was combined with '鸣高' (to proclaim one's loftiness), forming a term for those who retire from office and vaunt their superiority over those who remain in public life. It appears in Qing dynasty literature, notably Liu E's 'Lao Can Youji' (The Travels of Lao Can), where a character criticizes such people for vanity.
💡 Example Usage
他辞官归隐山林，肥遁鸣高，不问世事。
He resigned from office and retired to the mountains, withdrawing from the world and proclaiming his own loftiness, unconcerned with worldly affairs.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 肥遁鸣高
- Pinyin: féi dùn míng gāo
- Literal Translation: far-reaching, retreat, proclaim, lofty
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4