📖 Meaning
To compromise one's principles and accommodate others in order to preserve a situation or maintain harmony. It often refers to making concessions for the sake of the bigger picture. The term carries a connotation of enduring grievance to achieve a broader goal.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the 'Book of Han' (汉书), specifically the biography of Yan Pengzu (严彭祖), a scholar-official of the Western Han dynasty. When urged to bend to prevailing customs in pursuit of wealth and status, Yan refused, asking how one could compromise one's integrity merely to seek fortune. The expression later came to signify yielding or making concessions to preserve an overall situation or relationship.
💡 Example Usage
为了团队的团结，他只好委曲求全地接受了不公平的安排。
For the sake of team unity, he had to compromise and accept an unfair arrangement.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 委曲求全
- Pinyin: wěi qǔ qiú quán
- Literal Translation: bend, compromise, seek, completeness
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4