📖 Meaning
To praise someone unanimously and simultaneously. It describes a situation where many people speak in one voice to commend someone or something. The phrase emphasizes that the praise comes from all sides at once, not from a single individual.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces back to the Tang Dynasty, specifically to Han Yu's epitaph for Liu Zongyuan ('Epitaph for Liu Zhongyuan'), in which he wrote that prominent officials competed to take Liu under their wing and praised him with one voice. The phrase '交口荐誉' originally meant that various important figures all spoke highly of Liu Zongyuan at the same time. Over time, the wording evolved into '交口赞誉,' retaining the core sense of unanimous, simultaneous commendation. It is commonly used to describe widespread public approval of a person's talents, achievements, or character.
💡 Example Usage
这位年轻科学家的研究成果发表后，同行们交口赞誉。
After the young scientist's research was published, his peers praised it unanimously.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 交口赞誉
- Pinyin: jiāo kǒu zàn yù
- Literal Translation: cross, mouth, praise, reputation
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4