📖 Meaning
Describes violently raging wind and snow, as if nature were devouring and ravaging everything in its path. The character 饕 evokes the mythical gluttonous beast Taotie, here metaphorically applied to ferocious wind, while 虐 connotes cruel tyranny applied to snow. It paints a vivid picture of harsh, relentless winter weather.
📜 Origin Story
No definitive classical source has been recorded for this idiom. It is a later literary coinage that pairs 饕, referencing the ancient mythological beast Taotie known for insatiable gluttony, with 风 (wind), and 虐, meaning cruel or tyrannical, with 雪 (snow). The compound leverages the imagery of a devouring beast to personify wind and a tyrant to personify snow, creating a dramatic evocation of savage winter storms. It appears primarily in modern descriptive and literary writing.
💡 Example Usage
在饕风虐雪中，他毅然前行，毫不退缩。
Amidst the ferocious wind and ravaging snow, he pressed forward resolutely without flinching.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 饕风虐雪
- Pinyin: tāo fēng nüè xuě
- Literal Translation: gluttonous wind, cruel snow
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4