CHENGYU
默默无闻(mò mò wú wén)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 《晋书·祖纳传》
MEANING
- Literal
- silent and unheard of
- Figurative meaning
- unknown to the public; obscure
ORIGIN STORY
The Book of Jin tells of a man who "dreaded dying unheard of". 默默 — the quiet worker — plus the absence of any fame fixed the phrase for those who labor without renown.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“in obscurity”
EXAMPLES
他默默无闻地工作了几十年。Tā mò mò wú wén de gōngzuò le jǐ shí nián.HSK6
He worked in quiet obscurity for decades.
这位科学家生前一直默默无闻。Zhè wèi kēxuéjiā shēngqián yìzhí mò mò wú wén.HSK6
The scientist remained unknown to the public all his life.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is lack of fame or recognition — not lack of speech or lack of achievement.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01