Definition
如狼似虎 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'like wolves, like tigers' — it describes someone or something as ferocious, brutal, or voracious, often with a sense of uncontrolled appetite or aggression. It can be used literally for violent behavior or figuratively for extreme eagerness (e.g., eating ravenously). The structure is 如…似… ('like…like…'), a common parallel pattern in literary Chinese.
f.e.
ferociousbrutallike wolves and tigersvoraciousravenous (especially about eating)
Examples
- 如狼似虎。Nà qún qiángdào rú láng shì de chōng jìn cūnzi.That gang of bandits charged into the village with bestial ferocity.
- ，如狼似虎。Tā è le yì tiān, chīfàn shí rú láng shì de.He hadn't eaten all day and ate ravenously.
- ，如狼似虎。Zhège jiāngjūn zhì jūn yángé, shìbīng men rú láng shì de xùnliàn.This general ran a strict army, and the soldiers trained with ferocious intensity.
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