📖 Meaning
Having great fame and influence during a particular period. It describes someone whose reputation was widely recognized and highly valued in their era. The phrase emphasizes temporary but significant prominence rather than lasting legacy.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Song Dynasty work 'Xu Chuandeng Lu' (续传灯录), Volume 27, compiled by the monk Weibai. The text describes a Buddhist master residing at Jingshan whose reputation was preeminent in his time. Prominent figures of the era—including Vice Minister Zhang Zishao, top scholar Wang Shengxi, and official Feng Jichuan—all sought his teachings on the Way. The phrase later came to describe anyone whose fame was dominant within a given period.
💡 Example Usage
这位老画家在民国年间名重一时，作品被各大博物馆收藏。
This veteran painter was renowned in his time during the Republican era, and his works are collected by major museums.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 名重一时
- Pinyin: míng zhòng yī shí
- Literal Translation: name, heavy, one, time
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4