回旋镖

迴旋鏢

huíxuánbiāo

noun

Meanings

1 boomerang (literal)
2 (internet slang) an attack that comes back on the person who threw it; karma coming back around

Characters

to rotate, to spin

dart, throwing weapon

Examples

他骂别人没素质,结果被拍到自己插队,真是回旋镖。

Tā mà biéren méi sùzhì, jiéguǒ bèi pāidào zìjǐ chāduì, zhēn shì huíxuánbiāo.

He trashed others for being rude, and then got filmed cutting in line himself — total boomerang.

这条评论变成了大回旋镖。

Zhè tiáo pínglùn biànchéngle dà huíxuánbiāo.

That comment turned into a massive boomerang (came right back on him).

Tips

culture

In Chinese internet discourse around 2022, 回旋镖 became the go-to word for the moment when a person's own words or standards come back to hit them. Closely tied to the culture of 双标 (double-standards) call-outs. A typical comment: 'The boomerang hits hard' 回旋镖打得真狠.

register

Literal sense is neutral; figurative sense is strongly colloquial/online. Frequently paired with verbs 打 (hit), 收 (catch): 收下这个回旋镖 'here, take this boomerang back'.

Stroke Order

回 huí

旋 xuán

镖 biāo