📖 Meaning
Describes an overwhelming force that sweeps aside all obstacles and opposition wherever it goes. It conveys the image of an unstoppable power that no enemy or barrier can withstand. The idiom is used to praise military prowess, competitive dominance, or any endeavor marked by invincible momentum.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Annals of Xiang Yu' in Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (《史记·项羽本纪》), written during the Western Han dynasty. During a pivotal battle, the warlord Xiang Yu let out a thunderous war cry and charged down the hill on horseback, plunging directly into the Han army's ranks. The Han soldiers, terrified by his ferocity, scattered and collapsed in disarray—described in the original text as '皆披靡' (all fled in defeat). This vivid scene immortalized Xiang Yu's battlefield dominance and gave rise to the idiom.
💡 Example Usage
这支球队在联赛中所向披靡，连赢十场。
This team has been unstoppable in the league, winning ten matches in a row.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 所向披靡
- Pinyin: suǒ xiàng pī mǐ
- Literal Translation: wherever directed, all scatter and collapse
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4