好高骛远

好高騖遠

hàogāo-wùyuǎn

idiom #45,353

Meanings

1 to aim unrealistically high; to bite off more than one can chew
2 to chase lofty goals while ignoring the basics

Characters

to pursue; to chase

Examples

HSK 6

学习要脚踏实地，不要好高骛远。

Xuéxí yào jiǎotàshídì, búyào hàogāo-wùyuǎn.

In learning, you must stay grounded and not aim unrealistically high.

HSK 7-9

他刚毕业就想当总经理，未免太好高骛远了。

Tā gāng bìyè jiù xiǎng dāng zǒngjīnglǐ, wèimiǎn tài hàogāo-wùyuǎn le.

Just graduating and already wanting to be CEO is biting off far more than he can chew.

Tips

history

From 《宋史·道学传一·程灏传》: 病学者厌卑近而骛高远，卒无成焉 - 'the problem with scholars is that they scorn the humble and near, and chase the lofty and distant, ending with nothing.'

mistakes

好 is read hào (tone 4, 'to be fond of'), not hǎo. And 骛 (to pursue) is commonly confused with 鹜 (duck) - only 骛 with the horse radical is correct here.

Stroke Order

好 hǎo

高 gāo

骛 wù

远 yuǎn