趾高氣揚
Chinese edit
sole of the foot | high; tall | gas; air; smell gas; air; smell; weather; vital breath; to make sb. angry; to get angry; to be enraged |
hurl; to raise; to scatter | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (趾高氣揚) | 趾 | 高 | 氣 | 揚 | |
simp. (趾高气扬) | 趾 | 高 | 气 | 扬 | |
alternative forms | 足高氣揚/足高气扬 | ||||
Literally: “to walk with a high-stepping gait and look proud”. |
Etymology edit
From the book Zuozhuan:
Pronunciation edit
Idiom edit
趾高氣揚
- (derogatory) to be on one's high horse; to be very self-righteous; to be arrogant