📖 Meaning
Describes a person who has become arrogant and self-satisfied after realizing their ambitions. It conveys a state of smug pride and overbearing complacency, where one's spirit swells with a sense of undeserved superiority. The idiom carries a pejorative connotation, criticizing those who lose humility upon success.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Volume 4 of Li Boyuan's 'Nanting Biju' (《南亭笔记》), written during the Qing Dynasty. The text describes a man surnamed Wang who, after achieving his political ambitions, became exceedingly arrogant. He no longer held the provincial governor (巡抚) in any regard, treating him with utter disrespect. Each time he visited the governor's office, he would gaze up at the sky and speak incessantly as if words were gushing forth like a spring, demonstrating complete disregard for protocol and rank.
💡 Example Usage
他考中进士后志得气盈，目中无人。
After passing the imperial examination, he was utterly swollen with pride and looked down on everyone around him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 志得气盈
- Pinyin: zhì dé qì yíng
- Literal Translation: ambition, achieved, spirit, swelling
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4