饮鸩止渴

Pronunciation: yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě Literal meaning: Drink poison to quench thirst

Origin & Usage

The idiom 饮鸩止渴 (yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě) originates from the historical text 《后汉书》 (Hòu Hàn Shū) by 范晔 (Fàn Yè) during the Southern Dynasties. It tells the story of 霍谞 (Huò Xū), a young scholar in the Eastern Han dynasty, who defended his innocent uncle, 宋光 (Sòng Guāng), against false accusations. In his plea, he argued that altering an imperial edict would be as foolish as drinking poison (鸩, zhèn) to quench thirst (止渴, zhǐ kě), highlighting the self-destructive nature of such actions. The idiom illustrates the folly of seeking immediate relief through harmful means. In modern usage, it warns against short-sighted solutions that lead to greater harm.

Examples

English: "Choosing to ignore the problem may provide temporary relief, but it ultimately leads to greater consequences."

Chinese: 选择忽视问题可能会带来暂时的缓解，但最终会导致更大的后果。