📖 Meaning
To execute one person in order to warn and deter a hundred others. It is a variant of the more common 杀一儆百, describing the practice of making a severe example of a single wrongdoer to discipline the rest.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant form of 杀一儆百, which itself draws on an ancient Chinese governance philosophy recorded in texts such as the Han Dynasty's histories. The idea of using harsh punishment against one individual to frighten the many into obedience was a standard tool of magistrates and military commanders. The character 砺 (to whet or sharpen) stands in for 儆 (to warn), preserving the same sense of sharpening discipline through exemplary punishment. No single classical source is tied specifically to the 杀一砺百 spelling. It reflects the broader Confucian and Legalist debate over whether severity or virtue better maintains order.
💡 Example Usage
为了整顿军纪，将军决定杀一砺百，严惩了带头闹事的人。
To restore military discipline, the general decided to make an example of the ringleader by severely punishing him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 杀一砺百
- Pinyin: shā yī lì bǎi
- Literal Translation: kill, one, whet, hundred
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4