📖 Meaning
This idiom warns that indulging in comfort and pleasure is like drinking poisoned wine—it leads to self-destruction. It serves as a moral caution against complacency and the neglect of one's responsibilities in pursuit of ease. The pursuit of idle luxury is compared to slow self-poisoning.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to the Zuo Zhuan (左传), a foundational historical chronicle from the Spring and Autumn period. The original statement '宴安鸩毒，不可怀也' was used to caution rulers against the dangers of complacency and seeking only comfort. The character 醙 (dān) is a variant referring to poisoned wine, making this a variant form of the more common '宴安鸩毒.' The saying became a classical maxim in Chinese political philosophy, warning that luxury and idleness breed ruin.
💡 Example Usage
他终日沉迷享乐不思进取，可谓宴安醙毒，迟早会害了自己。
He spends his days indulging in pleasure without striving for progress—this is like drinking poisoned wine, and sooner or later will ruin him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 宴安醙毒
- Pinyin: yàn ān dān dú
- Literal Translation: feast, ease, poisoned wine, poison
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4