风靡一时

Prononciation: fēng mǐ yī shí Signification littérale: Wind bending grass for a time

Origine et Usage

This idiom uses the image of wind (风) bending (靡) grass for a period (一时) to describe widespread popularity. The metaphor of grass uniformly bending before wind captures how trends sweep through populations. The phrase acknowledges that such popularity, while impressive, is typically temporary. It appeared in historical texts describing fashions and fads in different eras. Modern usage describes phenomena that achieve massive but often short-lived popularity, from songs to products to ideas.

Exemples

Anglais: "That song was hugely popular for a season."

Chinois: 那首歌曾风靡一时。