虎视眈眈
- Literal
- a tiger's gaze, fixed and intent
- Figurative
- To eye something greedily, like a tiger that never takes its eyes off its prey and waits for the moment to pounce; a note of menace.
Where does 虎视眈眈 come from?
It does not come from an anecdote: the image is already on record in the 《周易》, the Book of Changes. In the text of the hexagram Yi, "nourishment," one of the lines speaks of a tiger staring fixedly downward, its desire unceasing; 眈眈 describes exactly that fixed, unwavering gaze. In that context the line concludes that there is no blame, but the image of the beast lying in wait is the one that took hold. Today it describes someone greedily eyeing what is not theirs and waiting for the moment to strike: a rival, a competitor, a foreign power, or relatives already counting on an inheritance.
Source (出处): 《周易·颐卦》
How is 虎视眈眈 used? Two examples
- 几个亲戚对老人的房子虎视眈眈，就等着分家产。
Several relatives have been greedily eyeing the old man's house, just waiting to divide up the estate.
- 国内品牌刚打开市场，国外巨头早已虎视眈眈。
Domestic brands have only just broken into the market, and foreign giants are already circling.
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