秀而不實
xiù'ér​bù​shí

flowering but bearing no fruit

  • created reference approved 秀而不实/秀而不實 → 华而不实/華而不實 (synonym) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    秀而不实 / 秀而不實 xiù'ér​bù​shí

    华而不实 / 華而不實 huá'ér​bù​shí

    synonym

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

    created reference

  • created sense approved 秀而不实/秀而不實 · xiù'ér​bù​shí · flowering but bearing no fruit — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    秀而不实 / 秀而不實

    xiù'ér​bù​shí

    flowering but bearing no fruit

    flowering but bearing no fruit; refers to plants that bloom without producing seeds. Also describes someone who shows early promise but fails to achieve anything significant, or something that looks impressive on the outside but lacks substance.

    秀 (literal) → 秀 · xiù · to bloom 而 (literal) → 而 · ér · but 不实 (literal) → 不实/不實 · bù​shí · to not bear fruit

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

    created sense