📖 Meaning
Originally, the saying describes someone who, because a person choked to death while eating, wanted to forbid everyone in the world from eating—an absurd notion. As a metaphor, it means giving up an entire endeavor simply because of a minor mishap or fear of potential problems. It criticizes the overreaction of abandoning worthwhile work due to a small setback.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Lüshi Chunqiu (《吕氏春秋》), specifically the chapter 'Dang Bing' (荡兵, 'On Military Affairs'), compiled during the Warring States period under the patronage of Lü Buwei. The text observes that if someone chokes to death, wanting to ban all food in the world would be a paradoxical and absurd response. The author uses this analogy to argue against abolishing armies and warfare merely because conflicts occasionally cause harm. Over time, the phrase came to broadly describe abandoning a worthwhile pursuit due to an isolated mishap.
💡 Example Usage
我们不能因为一次失败就因噎废食，放弃整个计划。
We must not abandon the entire plan after a single failure—that would be like refusing to eat for fear of choking.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 因噎废食
- Pinyin: yīn yē fèi shí
- Literal Translation: because of, choke, abandon, eat
- Category: Logic
- Characters: 4