冠冕堂皇

guānmiǎn-tánghuáng
idiom #24,536

Meanings

  1. 1 high-sounding
  2. 2 sanctimonious
  3. 3 pompous
  4. 4 self-righteous and grandiose

Examples

Tā shuō dehuà guānmiǎntánghuáng, dàn shíjìshàng dōu shì jièkǒu.
What he said sounded high-minded, but it was all just excuses.
Zhèxiē guānmiǎntánghuáng de guānfāng shēngmíng yǎngài bù liǎo zhēnxiàng.
These pompous official statements cannot conceal the truth.

Tips

memory
Literally 'crown and cap, hall and imperial' — images of official grandeur. The idiom evokes someone dressed up in regal regalia, speaking with inflated self-importance to hide their real motives.

Stroke Order

guān
miǎn
táng
huáng