📖 Meaning
To painstakingly pursue exquisite craftsmanship or perfection in writing, art, or any creative work. It describes an intense, often excessive, dedication to making every detail flawless. The phrase can carry a slightly critical tone, implying that over-polishing may drain natural vitality from the work.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty scholar Kuang Zhouyi in his work 'Hui Feng Ci Hua' (《蕙风词话》), Volume 2. He observed that certain ci poems possessed a shallow depth of language yet profound feeling, with their beauty lying between the lines. He remarked that when one deliberately strives for technical perfection ('刻意求工'), it becomes a senseless waste of effort, stripping away the natural charm. The phrase thus emerged as a caution against overworking one's craft at the expense of genuine expression.
💡 Example Usage
他写文章刻意求工，连标点符号都不放过。
He writes with painstaking perfectionism, not even letting a punctuation mark go unchecked.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 刻意求工
- Pinyin: kè yì qiú gōng
- Literal Translation: deliberately, mind, seek, refinement
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4