治丝益棼
zhì​sī​yì​fén

to make confusion worse

  • created reference approved 治丝益棼/治絲益棼 → 治丝而棼/治絲而棼 (variant) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    治丝益棼 / 治絲益棼 zhì​sī​yì​fén

    治丝而棼 / 治絲而棼 zhì​sī'ér​fén

    variant

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

    created reference

  • created sense approved 治丝益棼/治絲益棼 · zhì​sī​yì​fén · to make confusion worse — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    治丝益棼 / 治絲益棼

    zhì​sī​yì​fén

    to make confusion worse

    to try to straighten out silk threads only to tangle them further; used as a metaphor for trying to help or solve a problem but ending up making things more complicated and worse by not having a proper plan

    治 (literal) → 治 · zhì · to rule 丝 (literal) → 丝/絲 · sī · silk 益 (literal) → 益 · yì · more 棼 (literal) → 棼 · fén · confused

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

    created sense