好高骛远
- Literal
- to favor the high and gallop after the far
- Figurative
- Chasing lofty or distant goals without first laying the groundwork, and getting nowhere as a result.
Where does 好高骛远 come from?
There is no anecdote with characters behind it. The phrase is usually traced to the part of the 《宋史》 devoted to the Neo-Confucian masters of the Song period, where scholars are faulted for scorning what is near and humble and rushing after what is lofty and remote, and so achieving nothing. The image comes from 骛, "to gallop after": a horse racing toward the horizon without ever having covered the ground in front of it.
Source (出处): 《宋史·程颢传》
How is 好高骛远 used? Two examples
- 刚工作就想当经理，你别好高骛远。
You just started the job and already want to be manager — don't get ahead of yourself.
- 学语言最怕好高骛远，基础没打好就想读小说。
The worst thing when learning a language is overreaching — wanting to read novels before the basics are there.
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