📖 Meaning
A metaphor for heroes and warlords rising up and competing fiercely with one another. It evokes the image of tigers leaping and dragons prancing to depict a chaotic era in which powerful contenders vie for dominance.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from 'Han Er Zu You Lie Lun' (Discussion on the Merits of the Two Founders of Han), written by Cao Zhi of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period. The essay portrays the turmoil at the fall of the Western Han, when the Nine Provinces seethed like a boiling cauldron and the Four Seas surged, with several men claiming imperial title and others declaring themselves kings. Cao Zhi writes that these contenders glared at one another like owls and wolves, 'leaping like tigers and prancing like dragons' as they struggled for supremacy.
💡 Example Usage
乱世之中，群雄虎超龙骧，纷纷起兵争夺天下霸权。
Amid the chaos, rival warlords rose like leaping tigers and prancing dragons, each raising an army to contest for supremacy over the realm.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 虎超龙骧
- Pinyin: hǔ chāo lóng xiāng
- Literal Translation: tiger, leap, dragon, prance
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4