📖 Meaning
To stretch one's neck and gaze into the distance, expressing eager anticipation or earnest longing. It vividly portrays someone anxiously looking forward to a person or event they deeply desire.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Mencius' (《孟子·梁惠王上》), a foundational Confucian text compiled during the Warring States period. Mencius advises King Hui of Liang that if there were a ruler who did not delight in killing, the people of the world would all stretch their necks and gaze toward him in hope. The image of craning one's neck became a lasting metaphor for the common people's earnest yearning for a benevolent leader.
💡 Example Usage
新片上映的消息一出，影迷们纷纷引领而望。
As soon as the news of the film's release came out, fans eagerly craned their necks in anticipation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 引领而望
- Pinyin: yǐn lǐng ér wàng
- Literal Translation: stretch the neck, and, gaze
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4