📖 Meaning
To seize the moment and make a swift, decisive judgment. It describes someone who acts without hesitation when a critical situation or rare opportunity arises, cutting through uncertainty with immediate resolve.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from a letter by Chen Lin, a distinguished writer of the late Eastern Han dynasty and one of the Seven Masters of Jian'an, titled 'Reply to the Prince of Dong'e' (答东阿王笺). In the letter, Chen Lin praises the legendary swords Qingping and Ganjiang, saying they can slice through a bronze bell without making a sound. He then uses the phrase '应机立断' to describe how these swords respond instantly to the moment and cut decisively — a metaphor for a person of sharp judgment who acts the instant circumstances demand it.
💡 Example Usage
面对突发危机，总经理应机立断，下令立即疏散全体员工。
Facing the sudden crisis, the general manager seized the moment and acted decisively, ordering an immediate evacuation of all employees.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 应机立断
- Pinyin: yìng jī lì duàn
- Literal Translation: respond, opportunity, immediately, decide
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4