📖 Meaning
Refers to the arch-villain and foremost evildoer—the ringleader among the wicked. It describes someone whose treachery and crimes are so immense that they stand at the very head of all villains.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from Chapter 27 of the Qing dynasty novel "Ernü Yingxiong Zhuan" (Tales of Heroic Sons and Daughters) by Wen Kang. The author remarks that if a person can conceal every trace of their intentions at a critical moment, that person must be a 元奸巨恶 (an arch-villain), and there is no point discussing matters of temperament and disposition with such a one. It later appeared in Zhang Chunfan's Qing novel "Jiuweigui" (The Nine-Tailed Turtle), Chapter 71.
💡 Example Usage
若能在此关头不露一丝马脚，此人定是元奸巨恶，不可与论性情。
If one can conceal every trace at such a critical moment, that person must be an arch-villain with whom there is no point discussing temperament.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 元奸巨恶
- Pinyin: yuán jiān jù è
- Literal Translation: chief, treacherous, giant, evil
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4