📖 Meaning
Describing someone who is tall, strongly built, and imposing in stature. The idiom conveys an impression of physical grandeur and robust build, often used to depict a commanding or heroic figure.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase comes from the 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记), written by Sima Qian during the Western Han dynasty, in the chapter on the House of Liu Hou. Sima Qian recounts that he had imagined Zhang Liang—the renowned strategist who aided Liu Bang in founding the Han dynasty—to be a towering, powerfully built man. Yet when he finally saw Zhang Liang's portrait, he was astonished to find that the great statesman's appearance resembled that of a gentle, beautiful woman, a striking contrast to his formidable reputation.
💡 Example Usage
这位篮球运动员身材魁梧奇伟，在球场上格外显眼。
This basketball player is tall and powerfully built, making him particularly conspicuous on the court.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 魁梧奇伟
- Pinyin: kuí wǔ qí wěi
- Literal Translation: sturdy, strong, exceptionally, imposing
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4