📖 Meaning
To leave behind an infamous reputation that endures for thousands of years. It describes someone whose evil deeds cause their bad name to be forever remembered and despised by later generations. It is equivalent to the idiom 遗臭万载.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Qing dynasty scholar Hou Fangyu's (侯方域) work '拟思宗改元廷臣谢表' (A Draft Memorial Thanking the Ministers on the Chongzhen Emperor's Change of Era). In the text, Hou criticizes treacherous officials who, despite being recorded in unalterable stone inscriptions, would have their infamy passed down for thousands of years. Hou Fangyu was a prominent late Ming and early Qing literary figure known for his elegant prose. The idiom builds on the metaphor of a foul stench (臭) lingering endlessly through the ages (千秋).
💡 Example Usage
秦桧陷害忠良，最终遗臭千秋，被后人唾骂。
Qin Hui framed loyal officials and ultimately left an infamous legacy for the ages, cursed by later generations.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 遗臭千秋
- Pinyin: yí chòu qiān qiū
- Literal Translation: leave, stink, thousand, autumn
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4