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Chinese

take unfair advantage of; to deceive; to cheat soft; flexible to be afraid; to fear
hard; stiff; strong
hard; stiff; strong; firm
 
trad. (欺軟怕硬)
simp. (欺软怕硬)

Etymology

First attested in c. 1300 as  / , in Yuan drama The Injustice to Dou E penned by Guan Hanqing:

天地怕硬欺軟元來這般順水推船
天地怕硬欺软元来这般顺水推船
From: c. 1300, 關漢卿,竇娥冤
Tiāndì yě, zuò de ge pàyìngqīruǎn, què yuánlái yě zhèbān shùnshuǐtuīchuán.
Oh, Heaven and Earth, you laud the strong and trash the weak. All along you’re just going with the flow.

Pronunciation


Idiom

欺軟怕硬

  1. to bully the weak but fear the strong

Synonyms