目中无人
目中无人 (mù zhōng wú rén) literally means “no person in one's eyes” and expresses “extremely arrogant; look down on everyone”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: mu zhong wu ren, mu zhong wu ren,目中无人 meaning, 目中无人 in english
Extremely arrogant; look down on everyone
Pronunciation: mù zhōng wú rén Literal meaning: No person in one's eyes
Origin & Usage
No (无) person (人) in (中) the eye (目). The construction is precise and unkind: other people are not being looked down on, they are not registering at all, which is a stage beyond contempt. That is what makes it a strong accusation in Chinese — it denies the person any relationship with those around them rather than merely a poor one. The newly promoted, the newly rich, and anybody whose success has visibly changed the way they enter a room.
Examples
English: "His arrogance made him treat everyone with contempt."
Chinese: 他的傲慢让他目中无人。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
偷梁换柱
tōu liáng huàn zhù
Deceive by substitution
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借花献佛
jiè huā xiàn fó
Make a gift of something that isn't yours
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一叶障目
yī yè zhàng mù
Miss big picture
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庸人自扰
yōng rén zì rǎo
Creating unnecessary troubles for oneself
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颐指气使
yí zhǐ qì shǐ
Be domineering and arrogant
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无中生有
wú zhōng shēng yǒu
Fabricate something out of nothing
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自相矛盾
zì xiāng máo dùn
Contradict oneself
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出类拔萃
chū lèi bá cuì
Excellence that outshines all others
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 目中无人 mean in English?
目中无人 (mù zhōng wú rén) literally translates to “No person in one's eyes” and is used to express “Extremely arrogant; look down on everyone”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 目中无人 used?
Situation: His arrogance made him treat everyone with contempt.
What is the pinyin for 目中无人?
The pinyin pronunciation for 目中无人 is “mù zhōng wú rén”.