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Home / Idiom / 东施效颦

lit. Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi's frown (idiom) · fig. to mimick sb's idiosyncrasies but make a fool of oneself

东施效颦
dōng shī xiào pín
d+ōng·1st tonesh+ī·1st tonex+iào·4th tonep+ín·2nd tone
Idiom
Chain
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Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
to copy the way they walk in Handan (idiom) · slavishly copying others, one risks becoming a caricature邯郸学步Hán dān xué bùlit. drawing a tiger using a cat as a model (idiom); fig. to follow a model and get things more or less right but without capturing the spirit of the subject · uninspired imitation照猫画虎zhào māo huà hǔapply or copy mechanically · copy mechanically in disregard of specific conditions · copy mechanically and apply indiscriminately生搬硬套shēng bān yìng tàoto blindly follow suit (idiom) · to imitate slavishly · to do what everyone else is doing亦步亦趋yì bù yì qūto swallow whole (idiom); fig. to apply uncritically生吞活剥shēng tūn huó bōaffected · artificial做作zuò zuo
Antonyms
to blaze a new trail (idiom); to display originality独辟蹊径dú pì xī jìngto make a show of being original or unconventional (idiom)标新立异biāo xīn lì yìto choose the right course and follow it (idiom)择善而从zé shàn ér cóng
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