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张牙舞爪

張牙舞爪
zhāngyáwǔzhǎo
idiom #30,876

Meanings

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

Examples

那只老虎张牙舞爪，十分吓人。
Nà zhī lǎohǔ zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo, 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 hē jiǔ jiù zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo 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