📖 Meaning
A woman of peerless beauty, unparalleled in her time. The phrase describes the most beautiful woman of a given era, someone whose looks are unmatched by anyone else.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a song by Li Yannian, a court musician of the Western Han dynasty, as recorded in the 'Book of Han: Biographies of Imperial Relatives.' Li Yannian sang before Emperor Wu of a woman from the north who was peerless and stood alone in her beauty. The emperor was captivated and later discovered this referred to Li Yannian's sister, who became the celebrated Consort Li. The phrase has since been used to describe a woman of extraordinary, unmatched beauty.
💡 Example Usage
她容貌出众，才华横溢，堪称绝世佳人。
With her outstanding looks and brilliant talent, she can be called a peerless beauty.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 绝世佳人
- Pinyin: jué shì jiā rén
- Literal Translation: peerless, world, beautiful, person
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4