kè​hú​lèi​wù

aiming high with respectable results

  • created reference approved 刻鹄类鹜/刻鵠類鶩 → 刻鹄成鹜/刻鵠成鶩 (variant) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    刻鹄类鹜 / 刻鵠類鶩 kè​hú​lèi​wù

    刻鹄成鹜 / 刻鵠成鶩 kè​hú​chéng​wù

    variant

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created reference approved 刻鹄类鹜/刻鵠類鶩 → 画虎不成反类狗/畫虎不成反類狗 (synonym) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    刻鹄类鹜 / 刻鵠類鶩 kè​hú​lèi​wù

    画虎不成反类狗 / 畫虎不成反類狗 huà​hǔ​bù​chéng​fǎn​lèi​gǒu

    synonym

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created sense approved 刻鹄类鹜/刻鵠類鶩 · kè​hú​lèi​wù · aiming high with respectable results — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    刻鹄类鹜 / 刻鵠類鶩

    kè​hú​lèi​wù

    aiming high with respectable results

    To aim to carve a swan and end up with a duck; used to mean that even if one fails to reach a lofty goal, one still achieves something decent and remains a person of integrity

    刻 (literal) → 刻 · kè · to carve 鹄 (literal) → 鹄/鵠 · hú · swan 类 (literal) → 类/類 · lèi · to resemble 鹜 (literal) → 鹜/鶩 · wù · duck

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense

  • created sense approved 刻鹄类鹜/刻鵠類鶩 · kè​hú​lèi​wù · failed imitation — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    刻鹄类鹜 / 刻鵠類鶩

    kè​hú​lèi​wù

    failed imitation

    To attempt an imitation and fail, resulting in something incongruous or making a fool of oneself; to have things turn out contrary to expectations

    刻 (literal) → 刻 · kè · to carve 鹄 (literal) → 鹄/鵠 · hú · swan 类 (literal) → 类/類 · lèi · to resemble 鹜 (literal) → 鹜/鶩 · wù · duck

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense