不择手段

不擇手段

bùzé-shǒuduàn

idiom #8,650

Meanings

1 by any means necessary; by hook or by crook
2 to stop at nothing; unscrupulous

Characters

to choose; to select

means; method; section

Not choosing methods — willing to use any means whatsoever, no matter how underhanded.

Examples

他为了升职不择手段。

Tā wèile shēngzhí bùzéshǒuduàn.

He would stop at nothing to get promoted.

那个商人不择手段地赚钱。

Nàge shāngrén bùzéshǒuduàn de zhuànqián.

That businessman made money by any means necessary.

为了赢得比赛，他不择手段。

Wèile yíngdé bǐsài, tā bùzéshǒuduàn.

He would stop at nothing to win the competition.

Tips

register

不择手段 is almost always negative — it implies someone is morally unscrupulous. Unlike English 'by any means necessary,' which can sound heroic, 不择手段 carries strong disapproval.

Stroke Order

不 bù

择 zé

手 shǒu

段 duàn