CHENGYU
望洋兴叹(wàng yáng xīng tàn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary
- Source:
- 《庄子·秋水》
MEANING
- Literal
- to gaze at the ocean and sigh
- Figurative meaning
- to sigh at one's smallness before something vast
ORIGIN STORY
In the Zhuangzi, the River Lord was proud of his mighty flood until he reached the sea and saw its endless expanse. Facing the ocean, he could only look up and sigh at his own insignificance.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to feel dwarfed; to despair at the size of it”
EXAMPLES
面对世界顶尖选手，他只能望洋兴叹。Miànduì shìjiè dǐngjiān xuǎnshǒu, tā zhǐ néng wàng yáng xīng tàn.HSK6
Facing the world's best players, he can only gaze at the ocean and sigh.
房价太高，年轻人只能望洋兴叹。Fángjià tài gāo, niánqīngrén zhǐ néng wàng yáng xīng tàn.HSK6
With prices this high, young people can only sigh before the vast ocean.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is about feeling small before something great, not about missing an opportunity.
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01