📖 Meaning
To live solely for profit, treating the pursuit of gain as one's life's purpose. It describes someone who is entirely driven by self-interest and cares about nothing else. A stronger variant of the more common 惟利是图.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦) by Cao Xueqin, Chapter 59. In the original passage, an old servant woman is described as a stubborn, foolish person who, in her advanced age and confusion, lived only for profit and disregarded all personal ties and face. The phrase emphasizes a person whose entire existence is devoted to seeking material gain at the expense of all other considerations.
💡 Example Usage
那商人惟利是命，连亲戚的便宜也要占。
That merchant lived solely for profit, exploiting even his own relatives.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 惟利是命
- Pinyin: wéi lì shì mìng
- Literal Translation: only, profit, is, life
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4