Definition
This four-character idiom literally means 'flood waters and fierce beasts' — two of the most feared natural and animal threats in traditional Chinese culture. It is used as a metaphor for anything considered an extremely dangerous or harmful scourge, often with a moral or social connotation. You can use it to describe phenomena that are regarded as catastrophic or destructive threats to society, order, or well-being.
idiom
great scourgesomething extremely dangerous and harmful
Examples
- ，洪水猛兽。Zài yǒuxiē rén kànlái, hùliánwǎng jiù xiàng hóng shuǐ měng shòu yíyàng kěpà.In some people's eyes, the internet is as terrifying as floods and fierce beasts.
- 洪水猛兽。Zhànzhēng duì pǔtōng bǎixìng lái shuō wú yì yú hóng shuǐ měng shòu.War is no different from a great scourge for ordinary people.
- 洪水猛兽，。Tāmen bǎ xīn de sīxiǎng shì wéi hóng shuǐ měng shòu, jiānjué fǎnduì.They regarded the new ideas as a terrible scourge and firmly opposed them.
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