张牙舞爪

張牙舞爪

zhāngyá-wǔzhǎo

idiom #30,876

Meanings

1 to bare fangs and brandish claws
2 to make threatening gestures
3 ferocious and aggressive

Characters

Examples

那只老虎张牙舞爪，十分吓人。

Nà zhī lǎohǔ zhāngyáwǔzhǎo, shífēn xiàrén.

The tiger bared its fangs and claws — truly terrifying.

他一喝酒就张牙舞爪地骂人。

Tā yì hējiǔ jiù zhāngyáwǔzhǎo de mà rén.

The moment he drinks, he starts yelling and lashing out at people.

Tips

memory

Literal picture of a predator — mouth open, claws out. Easy to visualize, and it maps cleanly onto any blustering, aggressive person.

Stroke Order

张 zhāng

牙 yá

舞 wǔ

爪 zhǎo