Definition
折腰 is a literary verb meaning 'to bow down' or 'to cringe', often used metaphorically to describe submitting to authority or compromising one's principles for gain. The word comes from a famous anecdote about the poet Tao Yuanming, who refused to 'bend his waist for five pecks of rice' (不为五斗米折腰), meaning he wouldn't humble himself for a petty official salary. It's a separable verb (离合词): you can insert elements between 折 and 腰, like 折过腰 ('bent the waist before').
v.o.
(literary) to bow downto cringe (often figuratively: to submit or compromise one's dignity)
Examples
- 折腰。Tā bú yuàn wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ shé.He refused to bow down for five pecks of rice (i.e., wouldn't compromise his integrity for a small salary).
- ，。Zài quánshì miànqián, tā cóngwèi zhé guò yāo.In the face of power, he has never bent his waist.
- ，折腰。Wèile shēngcún, tā bùdébù xiàng xiànshí shé.To survive, he had to bow to reality.
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