📖 Meaning
To brandish a weapon and drive back the sun. It metaphorically describes someone with extraordinary power and determination who can reverse a perilous situation and turn the tide of a crisis.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a legend recorded in 'Huainanzi' (淮南子·览冥训), a philosophical text compiled during the Western Han Dynasty (c. 139 BCE) under Liu An, Prince of Huainan. According to the tale, Duke Lu Yang (鲁阳公) of the state of Chu was engaged in a fierce battle during the Warring States period. As the sun began to set before the battle could conclude, he furiously swung his halberd at the sun, and the sun retreated three solar mansions (constellations), allowing him to continue fighting and secure victory. The story became a metaphor for someone possessing the will and might to reverse a seemingly hopeless situation.
💡 Example Usage
在局势万分危急之时，他凭借挥戈退日的胆识，终于扭转了败局。
At the most critical moment of the crisis, he displayed the daring spirit of driving back the sun and finally turned the tide of defeat.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 挥戈退日
- Pinyin: huī gē tuì rì
- Literal Translation: wave, halberd, repel, sun
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4